Femina Mutatio
by nobodez
Summary: In sixth year, in an attempt to humiliate Harry, Draco hexes him, only, the hex wasn't what he intended, and Harry discovers that the curse that has turned him into the spitting image of his mother isn't such a curse after all. Fem!Harry/Draco. NOT SLASH. COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own the characters, they belong to J.K. Rowling.

Inspired by "HP: A Girl's Life" by nicky14 on DeviantArt

* * *

"_Femina Mutatio!_" shouted Draco, sending a bright burst of magic from his wand towards Harry. The spell impacted, the curse sending Harry backwards, tripping over his own feet.

Before either Hermione or Ron could retaliate, the door to the Defense classroom opened, and Professor Snape looked out, "What are you doing laying about Potter? Ten points from Gryffindor!"

The assembled Slytherin and Gryffindor sixth years filed into the classroom, the seemingly ineffectual curse forgotten.

* * *

"What do you think Malfoy did to you?" asked Ron in the back of the classroom, quietly so as to not invite Professor Snape's ire.

"Not sure, it didn't even hurt, just kind of tingled is all," replied Harry, dividing his attention between his friends and the Professor.

"I'll have to look it up after classes, but until then, we need to pay attention," scolded Hermione.

* * *

Draco looked over his shoulder at Potter, and seethed. The curse didn't seem to have any effect, aside from knocking Potter on his arse and losing the Lions a handful of points. He'd intended for Potter to hallucinate everyone as witches, perhaps causing the halfblood to talk of it to the Professor and get into even more trouble. That nothing had seemed to happen nagged Draco, but with the pressures from the Dark Lord, he had better things to worry about than failed cruses, for the torture curse was all to real.

* * *

"So we don't know what spell he used?" asked Harry, looking across the tome covered table to his friends. Beyond Hermione and Ron, Neville, Luna, and Ginny had joined them in the search for references to the spell.

"I found something close," said Hermione, reaching over to a tome covered in darkened leather. She opened the yellowed parchment pages to one she'd marked with a sheet of fresh parchment covered in notes. "The first word was the same, but the second is vastly different."

"What was it?" asked Harry.

"Femina Illusio," replied Hermione, "literally an illusion of women."

"Well, I didn't see any more women than normal, and I'm pretty sure you all aren't seeing me as one," replied Harry. He then put on a mock serious look, "You are seeing me as a guy, right?"

"Of course Harry," said Luna. "Though I don't think it was an illusion."

"Exactly," said Hermione. "Mutatio would imply a change, alteration, or exchange."

"So I'm going to turn into a girl?" asked Harry.

"I doubt it," said Hermione. "The effects would have been immediate if that was the case. Since you're still a guy, I'm pretty sure the spell was just mis-cast."

"But why would Malfoy want to turn you into a girl?" asked Ron. "I mean, it's not like he fancies you or anything, right?"

Harry shrugged, "Even since we met on the Express that first time, or rather, the second time, he's disliked me."

"Second time?" asked Ginny. "I'd heard about the Express, but you'd never said you'd met him before."

"Well, it was in Diagon Alley, on my eleventh birthday. Hagrid had taken me to get my things, away from the Dursleys, and we met at Madam Malkins. He was his normal pureblood bigot self, and when he insulted Ron, and you family, well, he was my first friend, so it's not like I'd have become Draco's friend after that."

"Enough about that past, since it's not likely that Draco's spell actually did anything, we'd better finish up our homework."

Ron groaned, but the rest of the teens around the table just sighed, knowing that Hermione's passion for knowledge had helped all of their grades, and her pushing Harry to form the DA the previous year had likely saved their lives in the Department of Mysteries.

* * *

Harry woke up the next morning with a horrible pain in his chest, though considering he'd slept leaning over the table, the Half-Blood Prince's potion's book spread before him, he had rather expected his back to be in pain, rather than his front. It was when he tried to rub his chest to ease the pain that he was snapped into full alertness. Instead of the expected, his hand had encountered something soft, and then brushed something a bit harder, sending a shock through his system. He stood, pushing the chair back with his legs as he did, and noticed that more had changed overnight than he'd first expected, as a lock of curly auburn hair fell into his blurry vision.

Harry quickly groped around, looking for his glasses before he realized that he was wearing them, and carefully, his daintier than expected hand removed his now unneeded glasses, and for the first time in his life, he could see perfectly clear. As he looked down, first to his glasses, and then beyond, he noticed that, as he had feared, much had changed overnight, and with a quick grope to his loose fitting pants he realized that he, or rather she, would have to get used to using a different pronoun.

With a mumbled, "Bugger," Harry Potter, formerly the Boy, but now the Girl Who Lived, fainted.

* * *

Hermione slipped down the stairs, mind still racing with possibilities. While she'd convinced Harry and the others that Draco had botched his spell, she feared that, without knowing more about the actual spell itself, only how it was cast, that it might have a delayed reaction. While she was still mad at Harry for cheating at potions with the second-hand book Professor Slughorn had given him, she still worried about her first and best friend. It was only when she was halfway across the common room before she noticed that stack of books on the table.

She paused, and then went over, her natural inquisitiveness getting the best of her. She then noticed just whose books they were, Harry's, for she would recognize the Half-Blood Prince's writing in the margins of the textbook anywhere. It was then that she noticed the body fallen on the other side of the table. She quickly jogged over before she stopped. She didn't recognize the girl unconscious on the floor of the common room.

The first oddity was that the auburn-haired girl was wearing the wrong uniform. Not that she was wearing the blue and bronze of Ravenclaw, the yellow and sable of Hufflepuff, or the green and silver of Slythering, no, she was wearing a boy's uniform, and one that didn't exactly fit her either. As she cautiously stepped around the table she felt something beneath her foot, and as she pulled it back, noticed a pair of glasses. With a shock, she realized that they were Harry's glasses, and with a gasp her worst fears of the previous night were laid bare.

"Harry?" asked Hermione, cautiously walked around the unconscious, and feminized, body of her first and best friend.

With a groan the girl, or rather young woman, rolled over, and Hermione gasped, as she saw the scar that had made Harry so famous on the girl's forehead. As the emerald green eyes, the same shade as Harry's, opened, and then focused on Hermione's face, the girl spoke, "Hermione, I had the weirdest nightmare."

"Harry?" asked Hermione.

"Yes?" asked the young woman.

"Oh Harry," said Hermione, falling to her knees.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" asked the young woman. She rolled over, and then looked down at herself. "Ah, bugger."

"Language!" scolded Hermione.

The young woman, Harry, looked up at one of his first and, until a few weeks ago when they'd had a falling out over a textbook, most faithful friend, "Hermione, I think we've got a problem."

"You could say that again," said Hermione, looking into the beautiful face of her formerly male friend. "I think Draco's spell did more than we thought."

Harry looked down, his new breasts tenting his shirt, "You could say that again."

* * *

"Okay, run this by me again," demanded Ginny, looking from Hermione to the supposedly feminized Harry beside her. The three of them were standing in the fifth year girl's dorm, which hosed only Ginny, as her cohort was born during the last and worst year of Voldemort's first reign of terror.

"Malfoy's curse," explained 'Harry', "It turned me into a girl."

"Woman," corrected Hermione. "You're a woman now Harry."

"She sure doesn't look like a Harry," said Ginny. "But between the scar, the eyes, and the way she's carrying herself, I'm pretty sure she used to be him."

"And I still am, at least, I think so," said Harry.

"Ginny's got a point, we can't call you Harry anymore," said Hermione.

"Harriet?" asked Ginny. She then shook her head, "No, that's not good."

"Hannah?" asked Hermione.

"Isn't there already a girl with that name in our year?" asked Harry.

"Right, well, what about Jamie?" asked Ginny.

"Jamie?" asked Hermione.

"It's the feminine form of James, my middle name," said Harry.

"Well, in that case, wouldn't Lily make more sense?" asked Ginny.

"My mum's name?" asked Harry.

Hermione nodded, "You're right, as much as Harry used to look like his dad, she now seems to be the spitting image of her mother."

" 'Her'?" asked Harry.

"You're a girl, or rather woman," said Ginny. "It's not like you look like a 'he' or a 'him'."

Harry slumped onto Ginny's bed behind her, sighing as she did so.

"As much as I want to be glad I finally got Harry Potter into me bed," joked Ginny. "I think we need to talk to McGonagall about this."

"Really?" asked Harry.

"And before we do that, we're going to need to get you out of those clothes," said Hermione.

"What?" asked Harry, shocked.

"Slacks aren't exactly part of the uniform for witches," noted Hermione.

"You go get her into a proper uniform, I'll go get McGonagall," said Ginny.

"Why me?" asked Hermione.

"If you'll notice, I don't have any roommates, and as lovely as Harry now is, she and I aren't nearly the same size. I think she's closer to Parvati in size anyway."

"Wait, Parvati?" asked Harry. "I don't want anyone else to know about this."

"Harry, until we, or more likely the Professors, can counter the curse Malfoy cast on you, you're stuck as a witch," said Ginny.

Harry sighed.

"Just look at the bright side, once you're done with this you'll be able to brag you got into Parvati's knickers," joked Ginny.

* * *

Unfortunately for Harry's desire for anonymity, Professor McGonagall quickly escalated the matter to the Headmaster. And so Harry found herself in Dumbledore's office along with his Head of House, and waiting for Professor Snape.

"I still don't see why we have to involve Snape," said Harry, tugging the hem of her skirt, indeed borrowed from Parvati, though wearing transfigured knickers rather than borrowing the intimates from one of the other witches. She was wearing light makeup at Lavender's insistence, and had her long auburn hair pulled into a ponytail, the first time in her life that she'd ever been able to have her hair under control.

"Professor Snape," corrected Professor McGonagall, "is checking with young Mr. Malfoy, inquiring as to the nature of his alleged curse upon you yesterday."

"It's not alleged, Malfoy cursed me before Defnese class, and then overnight I turned into a girl," countered Harry, still trying to gain some sort of modesty. The day before he'd enjoyed the shortness of the witch's uniform skirt, but now that she was wearing it instead, she was pining for her slacks quick heavily.

"That is still to be determined," said Professor Dumbledore from behind his desk. Albus, though, was hiding his worry, as he feared that this may have been a ploy by Voldemort to counter the effects of the Prophesy, as Severus had told him that Draco would we performing some duty for Voldemort over the school year.

Before Harry could insist on her view of the events of the previous day, Professor Snape dramatically burst through the door into the Headmaster's office, "What has Potter gotten himself into … this … time?" He stopped and stared at the young witch sitting in Dumbledore's office, tugging on the hem of his skirt. He he hadn't known better he'd have sworn that it was Lily Evans sitting there.

"Ah, Professor Snape, what did the young Mr. Malfoy have to say for himself?" asked Dumbledore.

"He claims to have joking sent a hex at Potter that would make the dunderhead see everyone as a beautiful witch for a few hours, no more than overnight based on when he cast it," explained Snape, his gaze going back and forth between the Headmaster and the witch that looked exactly like a younger version of his first, and if he was honest only, friend.

"I see," said Dumbledore with a sigh.

"You're not going to let him get away with it, are you? He admitted to cursing me!" shouted Harry.

"You?" asked Professor Snape. He looked the witch over, and upon seeing the scar, sneered, though the face of his first friend, rather than the accursed Potter, softened it quickly.

"It seems that Mr. Malfoy mis-cast his hex, and instead of causing young Mr. Potter to see beautiful witches everywhere, instead caused him to … well …"

"Turn into a girl," finished Harry.

"I see," said Snape. "Obviously we'll need to dispel the curse, however accidental it was."

"And until then?" asked Harry. "I'm a girl, a witch, until you figure out how to change me back. What am I going to do?"

"Why, you'll go to your classes of course," said Professor Dumbledore.

"What?" asked Harry. "But what about my condition?"

"You yourself admitted that, aside from being a witch, which I'm sure you'll find is no detriment to your schoolwork," said Professor McGonagall, "you're perfectly fine. In fact, you're better than fine, if your lack of glasses is anything to go by."

"I'm sure we can announce something to cover your apparent absence, and sudden appearance, during the noon feast. Luckily it is Saturday, and so you'll have a couple of days to adjust before resuming your classes," proclaimed the Headmaster.

"And what am I to call myself? I can't very well go around as Harry if you're going to claim I'm 'absent'," asked Harry.

The Headmaster nodded, "I'm sure we can come up with an appropriate …"

"Rose," interrupted Snape.

"I don't understand," said Dumbledore.

"Lily, before we had our … falling out, admitted that, if she was going to have a daughter, especially if she inherited his auburn hair, she'd name her daughter Rose, after her mother, rather than Harry, after her father," explained Snape.

"Rose Potter then?" asked Harry.

Dumbledore shook his head, "No my dear girl, not Potter. You'll not be able to hide under that name, for you are the last magical Potter in Britain."

"Evans then," declared Snape. "Rose Evans, a fitting name for her mother's daughter."

"Rose Evans it is," said Dumbledore triumphantly.

Harry was still surprised at the civil behavior from her least favorite professor to say anything else.

* * *

The Headmaster announced during lunch that Harry Potter had, in light of the heightened activities of Voldemort, gone into private tutoring to better prepare for his future fight against the Dark Lord. In a completely unrelated matter, the sixth year witch Rose Evans would be joining them tomorrow, having emigrated from New Zealand to complete her NEWT studies at Hogwarts.

Ron was at first upset by the seemingly sudden disappearance of his best friend, but then once Hermione explained the matter to him in private, with both his sister and 'Rose' there to support her claims. It was only after extracting a promise of secrecy, along with a similar curse to that which even months later still plagued Marietta Edgecombe following her betrayal of the DA to Umbridge, that Ron was able to get the full story, though.

* * *

With both Professor Snape and Nurse Pomfrey searching for a counter to the curse, though the latter with much more enthusiasm than the former, it fell to Professor McGonagall to escort Rose Evans to Diagon Alley.

"Why are we going to Diagon Alley?" asked Rose.

"You're wearing borrowed clothes and transfigured intimates," stated Professor McGonagall as she brought the tin of floo powder out of her locked desk drawer. "The former will have to be returned to their owners and the latter won't last more than a day or two. So, we need to get you new clothes, from a new uniform to new casual outfits, including intimates, if you're to survive a stray _finite_."

Rose hadn't considered that, and after swallowing dryly, she dutifully followed her Head of House through the floo to the Leaky Cauldron.

Surprisingly, rather than head directly to the Alley, McGonagall guided her charge towards the entrance to Muggle London.

"Why aren't we headed for Diagon Alley?" asked Rose.

"While we can get much from within the Alley, and we will be returning there for your uniform, the Muggle World provides a much broader selection of clothing for a young woman such as you've now found yourself to be. Even I find the casual apparel of the Wizarding World rather Victorian, and let's not mention the rather unflattering nature of the intimates. No, we'll start in the Muggle World, and once we've given you a proper wardrobe will be return to Diagon Alley for your robes."

* * *

Monday morning, before the joint Gryffindor-Slytherin Defense class, Rose had her first encounter with the cause of her feminization. As usual, the two houses were arrayed on opposite sides of the door, with Draco the self-appointed leader of his cohort of Slytherins.

Rose, still rather uncomfortable with the makeup that Lavender had forced her to wear, as light as it was, as well as the underwear that McGongall had helped her pick out, the older witch convincing the clerk at Harrods that Rose was her granddaughter recently moved from New Zealand to attend a boarding school but having lost her luggage, was surrounded by the comforting presence of her fellow Gryffindors. The other sixth year witches, Hermione in the lead, and Parvati and Lavender flanking, were guarded by the remaining sixth year wizards, Ron and Neville in the lead just in front of Hermione, Dean and Seamus brining up the rear.

"Ah, I see the new girl has already been taken into the warm embrace of her fellow Lions," sneered Draco.

"And what's it to you?" asked Rose, glad that Lavender's makeup had, for the first time in Rose's memory, hidden the scar that had defined her life as Harry.

"With Potter gone to train, it falls to me to lead my fellow sixth years in this time of troubles," said Draco. "But first, let me introduce myself." He brushed past Ron and Neville, and side-stepped Hermione. He then gently took Rose's hand, and brought it up to his lips, kissing it lightly, "I am Draco Lucius Malfoy, heir of Houses Malfoy and Black."

"Charmed," said Rose with a roll of her eyes, jerking her hand out of Draco's light grip.

"Get lost Draco," said Ron, pulling the blonde away from Rose.

Draco shrugged his shoulder, releasing Ron's grip, "Best be civil Weasley, you've no longer got Potter to hide behind. Now it's time you stood on your own merits, rather than by association with your now absent friend." He then turned back to Rose, "If you're willing, I'd like to offer my assistance with whatever you need to get settled here at Hogwarts."

"We'll take care of her," said Hermione, stepping between Draco and Rose. "Why don't you return to your side of the hall."

Draco stepped to the side, and bowed slightly to Rose, "My offer still stands."

"We don't need your help, you slimy snake," said Ron.

Draco stepped back, and then shook his head, "Six years, Weasley, and you're still getting it wrong. Snakes aren't slimy."

"What?" asked Ron.

"He's right Ron, snake's aren't slimy. They're actually quite smooth, and aside from water snakes, generally prefer fairly arid climes," said Hermione.

"Oh," said Ron.

"See what stimulating conversation your new friends offer?" asked Draco, once more looking to Rose.

Just then the door to the Defense classroom opened, and the students filed in. While the class was a continuation of the previous Friday's lessons, Rose did notice one major difference. For the first time she could remember, Snape wasn't harsh on her in class. In fact, for the first time at Hogwarts, she wasn't called out for being the Boy Who Lived, the famous Harry Potter, and the Chosen One. Instead, she was just a normal witch, skilled in Defense, but otherwise anonymous.

She liked it.

* * *

**Note:** Added horizontal rules to denote section changes (used the wrong format in the initial document that got lost upon import to


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own the characters, they belong to J.K. Rowling.

Inspired by "HP: A Girl's Life" by nicky14 on DeviantArt

* * *

"Why were you so nice to Evans before Defense?" asked Pansy Parkinson Monday night over supper.

"What do you mean?" asked Draco.

"I mean, she's a Gryffindork, one of Potter's pals. Weren't you just saying last week how you've got this super secret mission for the Dark Lord? Why are you cavorting with the enemy?" asked Pansy more pointedly.

"First off, she's not one of Potter's Pals, she didn't' show up until after Potter left for his training. And yes, I do have a mission from the Dark Lord, thank you for telling anyone within earshot," hissed Draco. "I wouldn't exactly call introducing myself politely as 'cavorting'."

"Why's you introduce yourself anyway?" asked Pansy.

"Rose Evans is a new element, introduced so soon to Potter's exit, she represents an opportunity to secure the Dark Lord's message within Gyrffindor," explained Draco. He then added something in a low mumble.

"I'm sorry Draco, what was that?"

Draco once again mumbled something, though Pansy could almost swear she heard a "Snape" and "niece" in there.

"Draco, once more, and this time, speak clear enough for me to actual make out more than two words.

"Professor Snape asked me to treat her as I would his niece," said Draco finally.

"Ah," said Pansy, finally understanding Draco's methods within the madness.

* * *

Two days later Professor McGonagall held a House Meeting in the common room after supper was over.

"As you all know, Mr. Potter has taken a leave of absence to receive more in depth training for his expected fight against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," said McGonagall. "And as such, while we had Quidditch tryouts just a week and a half ago, we will be needing to have tryouts to fill the position of Seeker. In addition, Ronald Weasley has been selected as the new Quidditch Captain, as of those not in their final year here at Hogwarts, such as Ms. Bell, he has had the most experience on the team."

Ron stood up, and with a nod to Professor McGonagall, stepped to the front of the assembled Lions. "You all know I'm not good at speeches, so I'll make this brief. We'll be holding tryouts for just the one position, that of Seeker. Only those that have brooms of their own will be allowed to audition, I don't want a repeat of the debacle the first time we had them this year. I know we'll all miss Harry, but if we want to show the rest of the school that we've not been getting by on his talent alone, we'll have to have a good team."

With that, Ron nodded again to Professor McGonagall, and went back to his seat, surrounded by the remaining members of the Quidditch Team as well as the other sixth year Lions.

"Good speech," said Rose.

"Not that it matters," said Ron, his voice nearly lost in the noise of the Gryffindors returning to their normal nocturnal activities. "I mean, it's practically just a formality."

"Don't be too sure Captain Weasley," ribbed Katie, who like Ron, Ginny, and the sixth year girls, had signed Hermione's contract of secrecy. "I mean, your little sister isn't half bad as a seeker, and if she makes the cut, then we'll have to fill her position in the Chaser line."

"You really think I could do it?" asked Ginny.

"Ginny, you caught the snitch both times you played last year, you're likely our most experienced seeker candidate," explained Katie.

"Wait, nobody told me you were going to try out for Seeker," complained Ron. "Now I'm going to look the fool when we have to have Chaser try outs as well."

"We'll dodge that bludger when we get to it Captain Weasley," said Katie. She had been offered the position of Captain twice, once after Angelina's run at the end of last year, and again after Harry had 'left' for 'special training'.

* * *

"So, you are trying out, aren't you?" asked Ron Saturday morning over breakfast in the Great Hall.

"I'm not sure," said Rose.

"What do you mean you're not sure?" asked Ron. He blushed slightly as most of the Great Hall turned to look at him.

"I mean," said Rose in a hushed voice, without the rasp of a whisper, a skill she'd gotten good at using at the Dursleys. "That I don't technically own a broom, which if you'll remember was one of your requirements."

"What about your Firebolt?" asked Ron in a whisper.

"Ron, Firebolts are still one of the most expensive brooms on the market, which means it's unlikely that Rose Evans of New Zealand can afford one if only Harry Potter could by having been gifted it by his godfather," explained Rose. "Plus, I haven't actually flown in the last week."

"What does that have to do with anything?" asked Ron.

"Ron, haven't you noticed that I'm shaped differently, you know, curves and bumps? My center of gravity is all out of whack, took me a couple hours last Saturday to figure out how to walk at more than a stumble. Plus, being the star seeker of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team isn't exactly fitting with my role as Rose," explained Rose.

"Your role?" asked Ron.

"Ron, in the last five days I've not had anyone point at me, no whispers when I pass, nothing of the infamy that I had as the Boy Who Lived. Instead, I've had the best five days of my time here at Hogwarts. I know it's likely because of the Dursleys, but I've finally gotten the one thing I've been denied the last five years here at Hogwarts," said Rose.

"But, you were famous! You won a thousand Galleons as Tri-Wizard Champion!" hissed Ron, his excitement nearly overcoming his whisper.

"Exactly!" countered Rose. "I've always wanted just one thing, and only one thing, something that it seemed, until I was cursed by Malfoy, that I was, pardon the pun, cursed to not have."

"What?" asked Ron, confused.

"I'm normal Ron," said Rose, a smile spreading on her face. "Nobody is trying to kill me, nobody is talking about what I am destined to do. Nobody is looking for me to save them. And since Professor Snape is both teaching up the material and now that I look like my Mum, being a halfway decent human being, nobody's expecting me to teach them how to defend themselves. For the first time I can remember I've finally normal. While I'm no longer 'just Harry' like I always longed for, at least 'just Rose' is a close second."

* * *

And so it turned out that Rose did not try out for the Quidditch team. Ginny, as expected, won the position of Seeker handedly, and Ron had to quickly arrange to fill the now empty spot on the Chaser Line, which was filled by Dean Thomas, who despite not trying out for the Seeker position had brought his broom to the pitch.

"Are you going to miss it?" asked Hermione of Rose as they watched the last of the Chaser tryouts.

"Playing?" asked Rose. She then shrugged, "After last year, well, I only played half the games anyway, and we still won the cup, thanks to our new Seeker. Plus, while Quidditch had defined my time here at Hogwarts, since I didn't even have to try out that first year, I'm not sure if, during what time I have as Rose, I want to do everything I'd have done as Harry. I mean, I'm already better friends with Lavender and Parvati, and I mean better than I was with Dean or Seamus, about what I had with Neville, though I'm not sure if they'd follow me to the Department of Mysteries."

"I'm not sure if I'd follow you there again," said Hermione, rubbing her chest. While the curse that had nearly killed her had left naught but a scar, it was a scar that she'd carry for the rest of her life. "I mean, really, what was it worth? Sirius was killed, the rest of us nearly were, and for what? A prophesy that the Headmaster told you anyway, and the Ministry finally acknowledging what was obvious to anyone who could open their eyes? I'm still your friend, Rose, and I hope this doesn't change anything between us, but, well, being your friend, or at least, being Harry's friend, is dangerous."

"Being Harry Potter was dangerous," said Rose with a sigh. "In retrospect, I'm not sure if we should have gone anyway myself. We were honestly all quite lucky to get away with our lives, like you said. I'm not sure, if given the same chance, I'd do it again either."

Just then Luna climbed up to sit next to Rose and Hermione in the stands.

"Hey Luna," said Hermione. She then introduced her two friends, "Luna, this is Rose Evans. Rose, this is Luna Lovegood, she'd in Ravenclaw a year behind us. She might be a little odd, but she'd good people."

"Thank you Hermione for that lovely introduction," said Luna. She then looked at Rose, and studied the older girl's features. "You look happy Rose," Luna finally said after a minute of investigation.

Rose chuckled, and said with a nod, "Yeah, I think I am."

"That is a good disguise, if I didn't know you better, I'd say you really were a transfer witch for new Zealand," said Luna. She then turned to a gobsmacked Hermione, "My complements to Lavender's makeup job, but Rose's shade is a bit darker, and so the concealer over her scar is a bit easy to see if you know what to look for."

"What?" asked Rose and Hermione nearly simultaneously.

"Come now, you both didn't think that as Harry's friend I'd not be able to tell that after being cursed with a spell that was literally 'feminine change' and a frankly transparent substitution by Headmaster Dumbledore, that I'd not be able to tell that Rose is actually Harry? Plus, Rose has practically the same friends as Harry did, though she's spending more time with Lavender and Parvati. She's taking the same classes," pointed out Luna. She then pulled her wand from behind her ear, "not to mention she's using Harry's wand."

After a few seconds of silence, Rose began to chuckle.

Hermione, though, was flabbergasted, "Rose, this is no laughing matter. If Luna can figure it out, what about anyone else?"

"Hermione, it's alright. It just means I have to work that much harder to be a different person that Harry until Nurse Pompfrey and Professor Snape figure out how to change me back," said Rose.

"The important question is, 'Do you want to change back?'," Luna pointed out. Before either Rose or Hermione could say anything else to the odd blonde, Luna stood and climbed back down out of the stands.

"Of course I want to change back," insisted Rose. She then turned to Hermione, "I do want to change back."

"I believe you Rose, but you don't have to convince me," said Hermione defensively.

* * *

Two days after the second Gryffindor Quidditch tryouts, Rose and the rest of the sixth year Lions, no longer in a defensive formation, met back outside of the Defense classroom. It seemed that without Harry to get Draco defensive, and without Snape sniping at Harry for being a Potter, the Lions and Snakes were halfway civil with each other, though five years of antagonism could not be erased in a single week.

As the waited for class to begin, the two Houses chatted, Lions with Lions, and Snake with Snakes. It was only by chance that Rose, listening as Hermione explained to Neville the history of a particular curse, noticed that Draco too was not participating in the conversion among his housemates.

Instead, Draco was watching Rose, as she was now watching him. For a brief moment their eyes met, and Rose could swear she saw more than just interest in her as a new student. Even though the Hogwarts robes concealed most of the female form, Rose noticed that Draco was paying attention to what curves the loose cloth revealed.

And she wasn't sure if she didn't enjoy being admired, even if it was by the wizard that had cursed her into femininity in the first place.

* * *

**Note:** Added horizontal rules to denote section changes (used the wrong format in the initial document that got lost upon import to the site).


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own the characters, they belong to J.K. Rowling.

Inspired by "HP: A Girl's Life" by nicky14 on DeviantArt

* * *

Rose gave Draco a bit of a wave, to quietly tell him that she'd noticed him noticing her. Draco blushed, a reaction that Rose honestly hadn't expected, and then gave her a bit of a wave back. Just then Pansy, noticing the silent interchange between the two, punched Draco in the arm, breaking his concentration on Rose and forcing him to pay attention to her.

* * *

"What are you waving at Evans for with that goofy grin on your face?" asked Pansy now that she had her boyfriend's, or at least she thought he was her boyfriend, attention. Pansy knew that, compared to Evans, she wasn't as shapely, nor was she as smart if the last few weeks of classes were anything to go by. About the only thing she had going for her was that, unlike the assumed half-blood or mudblood status of Evans, she, Pansy Parkinson, was a pureblood witch.

"Just trying to be nice," said Draco, the redness of the blush fading quickly from his cheeks. "And why'd you have to punch me? I thought that we were above such muggle-worthy antics as physical violence?"

"So now that Evans has caught your eye, I'm suddenly 'muggle-worthy'?" asked Pansy.

Draco cringed, and quickly backpedaled (though he didn't know enough about muggle culture to know the reference to bicycles), "Of course not. I'm just trying to make Rose feel welcome at Hogwarts outside of her House," he said, beginning to weave a web of lies, half-truths, and facts to distract his ex-girlfriend.

"And why would you want to do that?" asked Pansy. "She's a Gryffindork, and if she's not a mudblood, she's at least a half-blood, as no self-respecting pureblood would emigrate to the opposite side of the planet, let alone come back and admit it."

"It's just, well, a bit of perspective," said Draco. "I mean, Potter's gone now, and that's a good thing, but five years ago, we'd just met on the Express, and had I not insulted Wealsey, he'd likely as not had been friendly with me, allowing me to position myself next to one of the, if not the, most powerful wizards of our generation. I could have allowed him to see how important it was for scions of Ancient Houses, like we both are, to be friendly with each other, so that when we come into our inheritance we can properly guide our world. Instead, he was pulled closer into the blood-traitor camp, and his best friend's either an idiotic blood-traitor who gives the mudblood claims of inbreeding a perfect example, or a headstrong mudblood who, for all her intelligence, can't be bothered to ask the important questions about the world she'd suddenly found herself forced into."

"Wait, when did this become about Potter, Weasley, and Granger?" asked Pansy.

"Come now, even you've noticed that Rose is easily one of the strongest witches in our year, and is almost as skilled as Potter was in Defense. She's better than Potter ever was at potions, excepting his lucky first few weeks before his absence a week ago. She's strong willed, she's already gathered the sixth year Lions around her better than Potter ever did, and is even pulling some of the fifth years, both in Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, to her circle," explained Draco. "She might be just an immigrant from the opposite side of the world, but in the week she's been here she's already amassed as much influence as I have in five years."

"So it's a power play?" asked Pansy.

"It's said that the truest Slytherins aren't sorted there, instead convincing the Hat to place them where nobody would suspect, such as Gryffindor," said Draco. "So, yes, it's a power play. If I can become friends with Rose, then I'll be connected with all four houses, giving me he opportunity to be seen as a leader by all of Hogwarts, not just Slytherin, and turning my reputation from being a foil for Potter to being a power to be reckoned with."

"Ambitious," said Pansy with a nod. She then added, "Though, perhaps she's trying the same with you, as you'll allow her to gain access to our House, and establish herself as the Queen of Hogwarts less than a month after arriving."

"It's a risk," admitted Draco, "but even then I'd be the power behind the throne."

"And what about the Dark Lord?" asked Pansy.

Draco paused, briefly forgetting his web of lies for the cold hard truths of his life. His father was currently forfeit, as was his mother, all dependent of securing the death of the Headmaster. Should he fail it wouldn't matter how powerful he'd become at Hogwarts, for the Dark Lord would surely end the Malfoy line with three swift curses. Or rather, three swift curses after untold hours, days, weeks, or even years of constant torture.

"Draco?" asked Pansy.

"I've not forgotten about the Dark Lord," said Draco flatly, the emotion he'd had when speaking of the possibilities of power lost. Before Pansy could ask more, Professor Snape opened the door to the Defense classroom and the assembled sixth year Lions and Snakes filed in.

* * *

After class was up, and the Lions and Snakes began to file towards the door, Draco caught Rose's eye, and with a nod towards the front of the classroom, implored her to delay. With a quiet word to Pansy, within moments Rose and Draco were left alone, even Snape having left out of the door at the front into his office.

"You wanted to talk?" asked Rose, walking over to Draco.

"My question from Monday, to get you settled here at Hogwarts, it's still open," said Draco.

"Well, I'm pretty much settled in," said Rose.

"Oh," sighed Draco.

"Though, I'd be willing to try friendship," offered Rose. "That is, if you're okay with me being friends with Potter's old group. They sort of latched onto me as soon as I showed up, seems that without their Boy-Who-Lived around, they needed someone else to lead them," said Rose, telling a bit of a lie that she figured would cover for how she'd lazily kept her pre-Rose friends.

"I'd suspected as much, not a lot of natural leaders in the house of the Lions, and as much as they like to brag, especially Weasley, it's the female lions who hold the true power in the pride," admitted Draco. "And yes, I'd be willing to be friends. And as long as your pride doesn't mind the viper in their midst, I promise not to bite any of them."

"Animal allusions aside," said Rose, "how would we do this? I mean, it's not like we can meet in either of our common rooms to talk over essays."

"The Library?" offered Draco.

"Tonight, after supper?" asked Rose.

Draco thought for a moment, thinking of the project he'd begun inside of the Room of Requirement. He had planned on working on it, but he guessed that a few hours work wouldn't be missed in the long run, since he'd surely have it done quickly, with loads of time before the Dark Lord's plan required it.

"Unless you have something more important than the friendship that you offered?" asked Rose.

"No, no, tonight is fine, I'm working on a long term project, and just trying to figure out if I can spare a few hours away. I can, since I've got more time to complete it than I need," said Draco. "I'll meet you in the Library, don't forget to bring your books."

"Of course," said Rose with a smile.

* * *

"Where were you last night after supper?" asked Ron over breakfast and around a forkful of eggs.

"I was studying," said Rose, telling a half truth.

"Studying where? I mean, we were in the Common Room until just before curfew," said Ron, gesturing to Hermione, Neville, and his sister. "And who were you studying with?"

"In the Library," said Rose. "And if you really want to know, I was studying with Draco."

"Draco!" shouted Ron. "Why'd you study with him?" He then leaned close and spoke softly, though being Ron, it wasn't exactly a whisper, though luckily everyone within earshot knew Rose's secret, "I mean, he did curse you."

"Ron, until Madam Promfrey and Professor Snape figure out how to reverse the curse, I'm stuck as a witch," said Rose. "And on Saturday, during tryouts, I realized that I'm still acting too much like I did as Harry. I mean, I showed up, seemingly out of nowhere, and suddenly I'm best friends with all of Harry's friends."

"Rose, you are Harry," said Ron.

"I know that Ron, but unless I want everyone else to know, and unless I want Voldemort to know, I have to differentiate myself as Rose from who I was as Harry," explained Rose.

"Was?" asked Ron.

"Was, am, will be, the words matter not," sniped Rose. "If I don't do things differently, I can't keep this weakness a secret. And what's more different from what I did as Harry than befriending Draco?"

"I guess," said Ron hesitantly.

"Plus, I think Draco might be up to something for Voldemort, so the more I distract him, the less he can do for Riddle and the more we slow old Snake Face's plans," said Rose.

With that, Ron's argument lost its weight, and the Griffindors resumed their Saturday breakfast, Rose remembering that it'd been just over a week since she'd awoken as a witch.

* * *

While Rose spent the weekend with her oldest Gryffindor friends, as well as her new ones in Parvati and Lavender, mostly watching the Lions practice Quidditch or lounging in the common room, come morning she continued her quest for Draco's friendship. The two met again in the Library, and since they'd just had the one days worth of work to complete, they spent the rest of their time before curfew talking and getting to know each other.

"How are you enjoying you second week at Hogwarts?" asked Draco.

Rose chuckled, "Well, it's been just a day of my second week, but I think I'm doing fine."

"You're doing quite well in Defense and Potions," pointed out Draco. "I mean, you're practically top of our class in Professor Snape's course, and Professor Slughorn has already invited you to his Slug Club," said Draco, nodding to the purple envelope that Rose had received from the portly potions professor on their way to the Library. "I mean, I've been here nearly a month longer than you have, and I've not been invited."

"I'm not sure if I'll go," said Rose. "I mean, what's the point? As soon as I'm done here at Hogwarts I'm just going to go back to Auckland."

"Auckland?" asked Draco.

"It's New Zealand's largest city, a bit larger than Birmingham, but smaller than London, of course," said Rose, thanking Hermione's Encylopædia Britannica for that useful tidbit, which she'd collected along with other trivia over the last week to flesh out the history of her assumed identity.

"Ah, sorry, not a big call for foreign geography among purebloods," admitted Draco.

"Not a problem, if Britain wasn't the home of the old Empire, I'd doubt most of his Kiwis would know much more than a general outline," said Rose, another lie to explain her knowledge of Britain she gained in Primary School. "And that's just from the muggle side of things."

"So you were raised muggle?" asked Draco.

"Mum was a muggleborn," said Rose, revealing more of her assumed history. "She's British, even went to Hogwarts, that's why she had me come here for my NEWTs."

"Is that why Professor Snape is so protective of you?" asked Draco. "Because he knew your mother when she went here?"

Rose paused, Draco's question falling so far beyond the prepared false history that she didn't know what to say, "Professor Snape?"

"Yeah, I mean, the day you showed up he pulled me aside, and told me to treat you well, like you were his niece. You're not his niece are you?" he frantically asked.

Rose chuckled, "No, we're not related." She then thought for a moment, ad-libbing a bit of shared history between Rose Evans and Harry Potter, "Though, he did know my mum, was friends with her here at Hogwarts at least, though they had a falling out when it become too difficult for him to be friends with a muggleborn, or as he called her, a mudblood. She really didn't have anything to do with him after that, though I suspect that he still feels something for her, even now, and since I look so much like her, he's likely seeing me as a chance to do better. He probably sees a bit of himself in you, as he see my mum in me, and said that so you'd not make the same mistake he made."

Draco didn't know what to day after that, and neither did Rose, so the two fell into silence for a bit.

"So, potions," said Draco, finally remembering what had brought on their digression. "I mean, you're scary good, and I've noticed, you're not exactly following the standard recipe, though you're still getting to the same end product, though a little quicker and seemingly a bit easier."

"I'd love to take credit for it," said Rose. She then leaned over and pulled out the worn version of _Advanced Potion-Making_, to show to Draco. "But this here is the real secret to my success."

"Really?" asked Draco, surprised at the honesty shown by Rose, having built up a duplicitous image of her in his mind that she was slowly eroding away with her frankness.

"Well, not quite all of it," said Rose with a blush. "You see, I lost most of my luggage when I got here, including my mother's copy of _Advanced Potion-Making_ from when she attended. Instead I received this one from Professor Slughorn before I started." She opened the dog-eared textbook and showed Draco the handwritten marginalia, "These notes, they present a side of potioneering that I'd not had back in New Zealand, and from what Ron tells me, is better than what Professor Snape did when he taught, though perhaps it was Professor Snape's difficulty with Harry Potter and Gryffindor that colored Ron's impressing of his teaching. I mean, he's been great in Defense."

"He was a bit critical with the Gryffindors before you showed up," admitted Draco. "But you say this is why you're doing so well?"

"Exactly, I mean, the notes in here are better than what Professor Slughorn provides, whomever had this last, he was brilliant at potions, and even more, he was brilliant at spellcraft too."

"Spellcraft?" asked Draco.

Rose quickly flipped through the book, revealing one of her favorite spells, "Here, take this for instance, **Muffliato**, it prevents eavesdropping by filling the ears of those nearby with an odd buzzing noise, allowing conversations in private." She showed the handwritten notes to Draco. "And that's just one of the many useful charms, and hexes, in here. Along with the potions notes, and this is likely the best bit of charity I've ever received."

Draco took the textbook, comparing it in his mind to the one he had purchased during the summer. It was an older edition, the second to his own fourth, and had obviously been well-used during it's time with it's first owner, a so-called 'Half-Blood Prince'. After giving it back to Rose, Draco commented, "I'm surprised you haven't shared this with Weasley and Granger."

"Well, Ron likes it, but since we can't work together, and Ron's not good on taking notes, he's not getting much out of it besides the useful charms," said Rose.

"And Granger?" asked Draco.

Rose sighed, "She doesn't like it, thinks it's cheating."

"You were given the book, weren't you, didn't steal it?"

"Of course not," said Rose defensively. "And that's my entire point. It's a resource, and yes, it would probably be better if I tested the potions first before using them in class, just in case they're no good, but since the first one I used, and the potions I did for Professor Slughorn to make up for the weeks I missed at the start of term, they've each worked perfectly."

"Well, if you want, we can try some of them out beforehand. I mean, sure, we'll have to use one of the potions labs, but I'm sure I can convince Professor Snape, and I'm sure Professor Slughorn would love to allow you to use one," said Draco. He saw this as a chance to both ingratiate himself with Rose, as well as provide himself with Rose's seemingly lucky find without difficulty. "Plus, it'll allow you to prove to Granger, or rather, Hermione, that the potions are safe, and then you'll have less difficulty with her about the book."

Rose nodded, "Sounds good." She then placed the textbook back in her bag, a nice leather satchel Professor McGonagall had suggested she use rather than the rather ratty and patched together one she'd used as Harry. As she did so, she caught sight of the clock, and noticed how late it was getting. "Oh dear, it's almost curfew. I'm not sure we'll make it back in time."

"Relax Rose, I'm a Prefect, I'll just escort you to Gryffindor Tower, and then make my way back to Slytherin," said Draco.

Rose smiled, "Thanks Draco, you're a lifesaver."

The two friends then made their way to the portrait of the Fat Lady outside the Gryffindor common room.

"I guess this is goodnight," said Rose, not knowing what to say with Draco there.

Draco too didn't know what to day, "That it is." He then paused, and with a rush of impulse, reached out and gave Rose a hug, before stepping back, wishing her a hurried, "Goodnight", and dashing away back to the dungeons.

Rose stood there for a few minutes before the Fat Lady cleared her throat, "You coming through dear?"

* * *

**Note:** This chapter grew more than I expected, so I'm cutting it off here rather than adding the next few scenes that I had originally outlined for Chapter Three.


	4. Chapter 4

I don't own the characters, they belong to J.K. Rowling.

Inspired by "HP: A Girl's Life" by nicky14 on DeviantArt

* * *

When Rose finally entered the Gryffindor common room she was greeted by most of the sixth years, with only Dean and Seamus having retired to their beds.

"Where have you been?" asked Hermione accusingly.

"I was studying," said Rose defensively, patting her satchel in explanation.

"It's fifteen minutes after curfew," pointed out Neville. "You could have gotten detention or lost points."

"I was escorted from the Library by a Prefect," explained Rose.

"Who?" asked Ron. "Was it Draco?"

"And what if it was?" asked Rose, a bit of her blush from the hug creeping back into her face.

"Did anything happen?" asked Hermione.

"Yeah, did he kiss you?" asked Lavender.

Rose's blush reddened her face nearly to the color of Ron's hair, though still much lighter than her own auburn. She then lowered her head, and pushed past her fellow Gryffindors, answering with only a "Nothing happened" before rushing up the stairs to the girls dorms.

"Something totally happened," pointed out Lavender.

"Not a kiss though," observed Parvati.

"No, still too early for that, a hug maybe?" guessed Lavender.

"No matter, the gossip mill will provide," said Parvati. "Perhaps I can get something out of Tracey during Runes."

"Too bad Millicent and Pansy dislike Rose, or else I'd be able to get something juicy during Divination," sighed Lavender. Rose's newest female friends made their way up to their beds, following Rose at a much more sedate pace.

"She hugged him?" asked Ron.

"We can't be sure of that," offered Neville in Rose's defense. "It's just Lav and Pav gossiping."

"And they do so love to gossip," said Hermione with a sigh.

"So we're not going to do anything about it?" asked Ron.

"What can we do? She's her own witch, if she wants to hang out and be friends with Draco, that's her business," offered Neville.

"Nev, are you forgetting that we're talking about Harry here?" asked Ron. "You know, the bloke who shared our dorm for five years before getting cursed by the same snake you're now defending?"

"Ron, calm down," said Hermione. "And yes, we do realize that Rose is still Harry."

"I'm not sure that you do," said Ron. "I think you're just happy to have a friendly girl your own age for once."

"Unlike you, I've always been friends with Harry, and now that she's Rose, I'm still her friend," said Hermione angrily.

"is this about fourth year?" asked Ron.

"This isn't only about fourth year, this is also about first year, and that bloody troll!" shouted Hermione.

"Hermione, calm down," offered Neville, even while taking a step back from where he'd been standing between Ron and Hermione.

"Oh, so now it's about you then, is it? If you're such a good friend, why don't you share Harry's love of Quidditch?" asked Ron.

"I went to every practice and every game," countered Hermione.

"What about the last half of second year?" asked Ron. "Didn't see you at the practices or games after we snuck into Slytherin without you."

"I was polyjuiced into a cat!" shouted Hermione. "And then, after I got better, and just after I discovered that it was a basilisk, i got petrified! And if you'll notice, Harry visited me whenever he could!"

The argument lasted for another fifteen minutes, before a seventh year prefect came down and demanded that they go to sleep, since they all had classes in the morning. Neville lead Ron up to their dorm, while the prefect lead Hermione up to hers.

* * *

The next week served to strain friendships in both houses.

For the Lions, the fallout from the Monday-night argument between Hermione and Ron caused Rose to gravitate towards Lavender, Parvati, and Ginny, who, if not understanding her reasons, at least let her make her own decisions. Hermione was mainly worried about what danger befriending Draco, who not five weeks previous had paralyzed Harry and left him under the Invisibility Cloak on the Express, would have on Rose if the Slytherin found out. Ron, though, had a honestly selfish reason, he missed his friend, and with Harry gone, Ron had been pushed into a leadership role with the Quidditch team that he wasn't prepared for, not that he'd admit it.

"Hermione, I'll be fine," said Rose. "Draco doesn't suspect anything, and as long as I don't fall back and act like Harry, I'll be fine."

"But you are Harry," interrupted Ron.

"Ron, I know, but right now, I'm stuck as Rose," she admitted. "I can't be Harry, at least, not until Pomfrey and Snape find a counter, and so I need to make sure that I don't endanger myself, as Rose or Harry, by letting my enemies think I'm vulnerable."

"They why hang out with those enemies?" asked Ron.

"Draco might be Harry's enemy, but he's not Rose's," countered Hermione.

Ron continued to be obstinate as only he could by proclaiming, "But Rose is Harry!"

In the den of snakes, Pansy saw how much her so-called boyfriend was spending with Evans, as opposed to her, and resented Evans' encroachment, as well as Draco's abandonment of her. Realizing that the first Hogsmeade weekend was approaching, Pansy decided to make Draco choose once and for all.

"Draco," began Pansy during supper on Friday, "the first Hogsmeade weekend is coming up. Are you going to ask me to go with you?"

Draco froze, he hadn't realized that time was passing so quickly, and that plans he'd made months ago were coming to fruition. Unfortunately, Pansy only saw this as him thinking up an excuse, "Um … well … you see …"

"You're going to take Evans, aren't you?" accused Pansy. "You'd choose some tart you've known for three weeks over your girlfriend?"

Draco sputtered, "Girlfriend?"

"What, you're dumping me?" asked Pansy. She then stood, and shouted loud enough for everyone in the Great Hall to hear, "You can't dump me, Malfoy, because I'm dumping you!" With that she slapped him across the face, turned, and fled from the Great Hall. Nearly a minute of silence lapsed before Millicent stood, excusing herself, and calmly followed after her friend, breaking the silence and letting the Great Hall flood with new rumors.

* * *

Rose and Draco had made a point of not discussing Pansy's outburst during their study session, though they also had not made mention of the hug that Draco had given Rose four nights previous. They made sure that they kept track of time, and after testing out the Half-Blood Prince's **Levicorpus** on each other in a deserted classroom (from when the Hogwarts population hadn't been limited by two successive wars encouraging witches and wizards not to have children), Rose had returned to the Gryffindor common room with fifteen minutes to spare before curfew.

* * *

It was a shout that awoke the sixth years on Rose's fourth Saturday, three weeks since her transformation from the Boy Who Lived into Just Rose.

"What's wrong?" asked Hermione, who's bed was closest to Rose's.

Rose came out of the loo, her face pale in horror, "I think something's wrong."

"What happened?" asked Hermione, rushing around to embrace her friend and comfort her.

"Blood," mumbled Rose.

"Blood?" asked Hermione.

"Knickers," added Rose.

Hermione was confused, but then smiled, and chuckled.

"What's so funny?" asked Rose in confusion, though she was still in one of her best friends' 'Hermi-Hugs'.

Hermione stepped back, though kept her arms on Rose's shoulders, "It's just, well, it's official."

"What's official?" asked a tired Parvati from her bed.

"Rose is officially a woman," said Hermione with pride.

"A won…" began Lavender before she realized what it meant. "Really?"

"Well, it has been three weeks," observed Hermione. "It was bound to happen any day now."

"What happened?" asked Rose, still not understanding.

"Well, I guess it's best to take you down to see Pomfrey," said Parvati. "I mean, that's what I did when I had my first back in second year."

"I was lucky, it happened summer after first year," said Hermione.

"So this is normal?" asked Rose.

"It's perfectly normal, you're just a few years late because of your more recent assent to maidenhood," noted Lavender.

"Come, let's head down to the Hospital Wing, Pomfrey will want to give you a checkup, plus there's a few charms that you'll want to know," said Parvati.

"More?" asked Rose. "You've already taught me hair care charms, and cosmetic charms, and sewing charms."

"Well, I didn't know most of those either," noted Hermione.

"Sorry about that, we'd just assumed you didn't care, not that you didn't know," said Lavender with a blush.

"It's just something that our mothers taught us, and since we learned it as soon as we got our wands," offered Parvati.

"No, no, it's fine. I mean, you did help me with my hair for the Yule Ball two years ago, I should have realized that I didn't know the right charms then," noted Hermione.

"So, um, this is nice and all, but shouldn't we be getting to the Hospital Wing? I mean, I did find blood in my knickers," said Rose.

The other three girls all giggled, which surprised Rose, since it was really the first time she'd even seen Hermione giggle.

* * *

After Madam Pomfrey informed Rose that it was just her period, nothing major, the Gryffindor sixth year girls stayed in the Hospital Wing while the nurse not only educated Rose about her new monthly visitor, including the charms to relieve cramps, clean knickers, and 'freshen up', but also gave the three-weeks witched Rose a through check-up. That surprised Rose, since it was actually the first check-up that's she'd ever gotten at Hogwarts, though she didn't mention her observation aloud.

Even with the charms to relieve the cramps, Rose spent most of the weekend after leaving the Hospital Wing in her bed.

* * *

"Rose, could I ask you a question?" asked Draco on Monday night, near the end of their study time together.

"Well, you just did, but sure, go ahead," replied Rose with a smile. Luckily most of her cramps had finished, and what hadn't were relieved by the charms. Draco had inquired about her absence over the weekend, but had stopped when Rose, as encouraged by her friends, and from personal experience as Harry from the other side, mentioned "feminine problems".

"Are you planning on going to Hogsmeade this weekend?"

Rose was about to say something, but stopped, thinking. "Well, I guess so. I think Ron and Hermione said something about showing me around."

"Oh, well, in that case…" said Draco dejectedly.

"Well, unless you want to show me around," offered Rose. "I think Ron and Hermione are still competing over who can be a better friend, so I'm not sure if that would be the best experience for my first time."

Draco brightened, "Of course I'll show you around."

"As friends, of course," demanded Rose. "I don't want Pansy to curse me because she thought I stole you from her."

"Of course, as friends," said Draco quickly. "Wouldn't think of it, since we're just friends."

Rose smiled, and then packed up her books, "It's a date, then."

Draco was left reeling in the Library as Rose made her way back to Gryffindor Tower, though as a Prefect he didn't have to worry.


	5. Chapter 5

I don't own the characters, they belong to J.K. Rowling.

Inspired by "HP: A Girl's Life" by nicky14 on DeviantArt

* * *

"So, Hermione, I need your help with something," said Rose once she'd gotten back to the tower.

"What did you need?" asked Hermione, putting down her book.

Rose walked over and sat on the edge of Hermione's bed, "Well, you know how there's a Hogsmeade weekend coming up?"

"Yeah, so," said Hermione. She then paled, "Are they not letting you go since, as Rose, you don't have permission?"

Rose shook her head, "No, no, nothing like that. At least, I hope not. No, it's just, well, Draco wanted to show me around the village, since as Rose, I'm new and all, but I didn't know how to tell Ron."

"Oh, yeah, that's not going to go very well," said Hermione with a sigh.

"I mean, I still like Ron as a friend, he's the first friend I've ever had, but as we both know, he's got the emotional depth of a teaspoon, is about as dependable as a distracted squirrel, and his family and Draco's are about as friendly as rabid dogs," said Rose metaphorically.

"I could help," said Lavender from her bed.

"What?" asked Rose, turning around to look at the girl she assumed was already asleep.

"Well, I mean, Ron's the Quidditch Captain, he's a Prefect, and he's actually pretty handsome. If you want, I'll ask him to escort me to Hogsmeade, so you can have your date with Draco," the blonde offered.

"It's not a date," denied Rose.

"Well, it's sort of a date," pointed out Hermione.

"I'm sorry, but we're not going anywhere near Puddifoot's, and if he offers, then I'll just leave him right there," declared Rose.

"Bad experience?" asked Lavender.

"Last year, for the Valentine's Hogsmeade Day, Harry had a date with Cho. They went to Madam Puddifoot's, but since that was the day that I arranged the interview with Skeeter and Lovegood about Voldemort's return, he mentioned me, and it didn't go very well," described Hermione.

"All she did was cry and talk about Cedric," said Rose. "I mean, I understand the appeal of the place, from an objective viewpoint, but I'd rather face Voldemort unarmed and in my knickers than go back there again," said Rose.

"Well, I'll see if I can't help get Ron out of your hair, and if I'm lucky, maybe I'll be able to get him to Puddifoot's myself," said Lavender with a devious grin.

* * *

"Mr. Malfoy, a moment of your time," asked Professor Snape on Wednesday evening before supper.

"Of course Professor Snape," said Draco, following his Head of House to the office he kept near the Slytherin dungeon. It had been his only office for nearly fifteen years before Dumbledore had finally let him take the position as Defense Professor, when Snape had been forced to separate his Head of House office from his Professorial office, which was further above ground, next to the Defense classroom.

Once the door to the office was closed, both Draco and Snape relaxed, "I hear through the gossip that you're escorting Ms. Evans to Hogsmeade this weekend.

Draco nodded, "Yes sir, she's a marvelous witch, and we've become fast friends."

"Friends, or something more?" asked Snape.

"I'm not sure what you're implying Professor," said Draco.

"What are your intentions towards Ms. Evans?" asked Snape.

"Is this because you knew her mum at Hogwarts? I mean, you said to treat her like your niece, so I've been as respectful as possible. Plus, she asked me to ask her, so really, she asked me to Hogsmeade," said Draco defensively.

Snape raised an eyebrow, "I see." He then cautiously sat down behind his desk, gesturing for Draco to take the seat before it. "I did indeed know her mother at Hogwarts, though I had a falling out with her when we were both about the same age you and Rose are."

"I see, and you don't want history to repeat itself?" asked Draco.

"I do not want to see her get hurt," said Snape, surprising himself with his honesty. When Harry had been the spitting image of James Potter, he was easy to hate, easy to put into a box of 'troublemaker

or 'dunderhead' or even 'imbecile'. As Rose, though, Snape could not do that, since, instead of the image of the man who stole his love from him, Rose looked like the woman who stole his heart.

"Well, right now we're friends," admitted Draco. "I don't know if it'll ever be more than that. I mean, she's smart, she's funny, and she's just devious enough to make me think that she may be one of the mythical 'truest Slytherins'. Other times she's as honest and loyal as a Badger, as wise and inquisitive as an Eagle, or as brash and forthright as a Lion."

"We all have elements of the other Houses in who we are," admitted Snape. "You might find that, in the right circumstances, you'll have the courage of a Lion, the Loyalty of a Badger, or the wisdom of an Eagle yourself, in addition to the ambition of a Snake. It does not happen often, but even I have touched the bravery of a Lion on occasion."

"I want to be brave, to go further with her, but I'm afraid," said Draco.

"Afraid?" asked Snape.

"I'm afraid of what the Dark Lord might do if he finds out about her," admitted Draco. "She's a half-blood, so it's not an instant death in her future, but if the Dark Lord believes that she's not pure enough, not worthy enough, I don't want her to die."

Snape sighed, he too knew that feeling, of not wanting the one you cared about to come to harm. Unfortunately for him, and for Lily, he lost her before he could keep her safe. "Mr. Malfoy, should it come it that, and I do not believe that it will, I will support any decision you make with regards to Ms. Evans, even if it defies the Dark Lord himself."

Draco gasped in shock, "Professor?"

"I'm not just your Professor or Head of House, Draco, I'm your Godfather, and it is my duty to watch out for your, even if it puts myself in danger. While I hope that it does not happen, for you and Rose, well, I lost her mother because I made the wrong decision, between what was right and what was easy, I pray that you don't have to choose the path I did."

Draco didn't know what to say in response, and so the office fell into silence.

"You may go, Mr. Malfoy," said Snape, gesturing to the door.

"Thank … thank you Professor," said Draco, getting up and making his way out of the office.

* * *

After Draco left, Severus thought about how the former Mr. Potter had changed, and how that change had affected him. He'd been charged nearly a month ago to discover the curse that befell Mr. Potter and determine if it could be reversed, and if so, how.

The curse itself was difficult to find reference to, and he'd had to dig deep into the Restricted Section, as well as both his own Library, and ironically, the Library now owned by the former Mr. Potter at the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.

He had, though, found out what the curse actually did, and what it had initially been used for. He also knew why it fell out of favor. His problem, though, came down to his hatred of James Potter, and by extension, his hatred of Harry Potter. While he had yet to discover the proper counter, he knew that it existed by references, but he was unsure if he'd share that discovery once it was made. Did his love of Lily outweigh his fear of Dumbledore, or did his fear of the Dark Lord outweigh his hatred of James Potter?

* * *

"It's now been four weeks since Mr. Potter was cursed," said Albus, sitting behind his desk. Before it sat Severus, Poppy, and Minerva. He looked first to his Deputy Headmistress, "How is Ms. Evans doing?"

"She's doing remarkably well, better even then she did as Mr. Potter," admitted Minerva. "She had more self confidence, and self respect, but also thinks more about how her actions will effect others. I think her effort to keep her status hidden from the majority of the school has also encouraged her mind, as she seems to be studying much more, and her essays are showing much more independent thought, no longer parroting the efforts of Ms. Granger."

Albus nodded. He then looked to Poppy, "I saw reference to Ms. Evans visiting your care last weekend, is there something we should be worried about?"

Poppy smiled, "No, not at all. Actually, she seems to be a perfectly normal sixteen year old witch, though this was her first period. She was unprepared for it, but I've since taught her the basic charms all of our witches are expected to know. I've already started her on the standard witch's regimen, though I suggest you inform me before you counter the curse, since the potions have a detrimental effect on a wizard's magic and virility."

"So it's more than just a cosmetic change then?" asked Albus.

"Oh, very much so," said Poppy. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say she was born a girl. Even my most sensitive spells only register a slight increase in foreign magic, though with her curse scar from You-Know-Who's first defeat still upon her, it's only slight in comparison. She registers as female for all of the wards, which is good since she's staying in the sixth years' witches dorm in Gryffindor."

"Indeed?" asked Albus, looking agin to Minerva.

"When I first met her in the fifth year dorm, Ms. Weasley's room, I already knew she'd be fine living with the other witches. Had there been a problem, it would have crept up before we were even involved," Minerva pointed out. "I didn't mention it to you specifically, since I had already mentioned the circumstances of her discovery."

Albus chuckled, "That you did, that you did." He looked back to Poppy, "So, beyond her medical needs, were you able to discover anything about the curse?"

"As I said, I could barely distinguish there was a curse, both four weeks ago during her initial check, and last weekend when she came to me with feminine problems," said Poppy. "I called around, anonymously, to my fellow healers, as well as few generalists I know by reputation, but the curse is unknown to them all."

"I can explain that," said Severus.

"You can?" asked Albus.

"It is an old cruse, early twelfth century, Norman in origin," explained Severus. "It's properly called the 'Maiden's Blessing', at least, that's what it was popularized as during it's use among the pureblood families of the time. It was mainly used as a matrimonial charm, to change second and third sons into wives. In addition to the virginity it ensures, it also induces a mild compulsion, much weaker than even the weakest potion, that encourages the victim to think of their attacker in a positive light."

"So that explains her friendship with Mr. Malfoy," noted Minerva.

"It would, if the compulsion didn't fade within a week without intercourse to cement it," said Severus. "After the twenty-eighth, all of Ms. Evans' decisions in regards to Mr. Malfoy were of her own design, rather than any lingering side effects."

"I see," said Albus. "And have you discovered the counter?"

Severus shook his head, "No, I've not. So far I've only discovered the source of the curse from third and fourth hand references, though I suspect that a more diligent investigation of a Darker nature might reveal more. About that only good news, if you would call it that, is that there were circumstances of the curse being countered, though again, no details beyond the fact that it occurred."

"Will you be needing to exploit your more dangerous resources to discover it?"

"I doubt it, as based on the history I should be able to find something at Malfoy Manor. I have been called there for a meeting on the morrow, and so if the reference still exists, I should be able to discover it then and there."

"Be careful, should Voldemort discover that the curse exists, and that it was used on Mr. Potter, then Ms. Evans will be in even more danger than before, if only because she has let her guard down in hiding," said Albus.

"I will endeavor to do so."

Albus then cheered, "Well, since we have time before Mr. Potter returns to us, I guess I will have to proceed with Ms. Evans instead. Minerva, if you would inform Ms. Evans that I will need to meet with her on monday night to continue the training she began in September, that would be appreciated. I do not plan on changing my password until afterwards."

"Of course Albus," said Minerva.

* * *

"What should I wear?" asked Rose, sorting through the clothes in her wardrobe. Unlike in the boys dorm, where the clothes were just folded and left in the trunk, in the girls dorm each had a wardrobe to hang their clothes in. While Rose cared not either way, it did make sorting through them slightly easier. If she could decide what to wear.

"Well, there's three inches of snow on the ground, and more on the way, so whatever it is you decide on, make sure it's warm," said Hermione.

"Or at least, properly charmed," added Parvati. She was wearing a pair of pants over tights, and was putting on her third jumper.

"Ooh, good point," said Lavender, who was looking over Rose's shoulder into the wardrobe. The blonde grabbed the dark red peacoat that had subtle golden accents, "Here's your foundation piece. Since it's so cold, you're not going to be taking this off, so everything else will have to work around this."

"Ah, well, I guess …" said Rose. She then grabbed a black jumper and a crimson turtleneck, "I think these should work fine for the tops."

"Ah, good choice. Black and Red as your primaries with gold for accent," said Lavender nodding. She then pointed to a long woolen skirt, "There, that one."

The skirt was nearly the same shade as the turtleneck, and had embroidered celtic knot work along the hem, "I'm thinking that I may have limited myself in taking Professor McGonagall with me shopping. My casual clothes seems to be rather monochromatic."

"Eh, with your hair and skin, the darker reds actually work pretty well. Now, if you had Ginny's, you'd need to go with a whole different palate, but with your darker hair, it's fine," said Lavender. "Now that we have your clothes, let's start with the intimates."

Rose selected a rather simple bra and knicker set in black, and also a black pair of tights. After putting them on, and before she could start with the next layer, lavender stopped her, "Ah, well, there's one more thing we need to do."

"What?" asked Rose.

"Warming charms," said Parvati.

Rose grabbed her wand, "And where exactly are they going?"

"Bra, knickers, tights," said Lavender. As she said that, Rose cast the charms. Already she noticed how much better she felt, even though she hadn't realized how chilly the dorm was. "Better, right?"

"Much," said Lavender. "Now, one day you might decide to skip the charm on the bra, but since this is your first date, it's best not to go that far ahead."

"Why would I skip the bra?" asked Rose.

"Come now, you were a boy, surely you're familiar with the effects of the cold on a woman's breasts?" asked Parvati with a snicker.

"Ah, of course," said Rose with a bit of a blush.

"No matter, let's get you dressed," said Lavender.

Ten minutes later Rose was fully dressed, her skirt falling to her ankles, leaving just enough space for it to clear the top of the snow outside. Her peacoat was open at the lapel, revealing her black jumper and the collar of her turtleneck.

"Now, this is how you'll want to wear it until you're actually outside," said Lavender. "Once it the weather, button all the way up."

"Gotcha," said Rose.

"Here Rose, I have something for you," said Hermione, grabbing a box wrapped with a gold ribbon from her own wardrobe. "I was going to give these to you at Christmas, that is, if you were still Rose and not back to Harry, but I got them done early, so I thought today, pretty much the one-month anniversary of your transformation, would be better."

"Thanks Hermione," said Rose, accepting the gift. She pulled the ribbon, and then opened the box. On a bed a white tissue were four knit accessories.

"I got really good a knitting for S.P.E.W., so I thought these would be good," said Hermione.

Rose picked up the pair of mittens, and smiled at the softness. She tested one out, and noticed that they were lined.

"I lined them with felt, to keep the wind out, but I also added some runes," said Hermione. She picked up the large beret, turning it inside out, revealing the golden felt lining inside the knit red shell. "See, look closely," she said.

Rose did, and noticed fine gold and silver threads, nearly lost in the golden felt.

"These will stop the wind from getting it, they'll keep you warm, and since they're runic based, they'll never need to be re-cast," she said. "For the scarf, the lining is between the two layers, so while you can't see it, it'll be there, keeping you warm."

Rose smiled, and then wrapped her best friend in a hug, "Thank you Hermione. These are the most thoughtful gifts I've gotten since, well, a long time." Rose then stepped back. She took off the mittens he wore and put it in the outer pocket of the peacoat. The opposite pocket was quickly filled with the other mitten, while the scarf was loosely wrapped around her neck, and the beret, with some help form Hermione, was placed such that it caught most of her hair within it, though still keeping her head warm. Rose then stepped over to the mirror that was next to the door out of the dorm and spun around, looking at all of her ensemble.

She then smiled, knowing that she was beautiful, and that, no matter what Ron claimed, she wasn't losing herself to femininity, just enjoying the ride.


	6. Chapter 6

I don't own the characters, they belong to J.K. Rowling.

Inspired by "HP: A Girl's Life" by nicky14 on DeviantArt

* * *

Draco waited at the entrance hall, nervous. Meeting Rose had changed his plans, though he was unsure of how he'd stop what he'd already set in motion nearly two months ago. At the time it seemed like following the Dark Lord, killing the Headmaster, it was the only path that was open to him. Then, he met Rose, and when his Godfather supported his interest in her, saying that he'd do whatever needed to keep Draco safe, well, he was beginning to see a different path.

It hadn't stopped him from his contingency plans, though his time spent with Rose had slowed his progress on the cabinet. Today, though, he had two missions. First was to retrieve the cursed necklace he'd extorted out of Borgin, something only he could do since Rosemerta was still under his _Imperious_. Second, he needed to enjoy himself with Rose, whom he was slowly thinking might be the woman for him. Sure, his father would be upset that she wasn't a pureblood, but since Draco would practically have to leave Britain once he angered the Dark Lord, preferably before the Dark Lord discovered his failure, to survive his failure to kill the Headmaster, a relationship with Rose in her home country wasn't out of the question.

He knew that running away wasn't the bravest thing to do, but there was a reason he was a Slytherin and not a Gryffindor. Ambition, cunning, tradition, those were the traits of a Slytherin. He had the ambition to love the girl he wanted, not the girl his parents, or the Dark Lord, decided he should. He had the cunning to prolong the revelation of his failure until after he was safe from the Dark Lord. He had the tradition … well, his aunt had run off with a muggleborn so, in a way, that was traditional.

Just then he was jolted out of him musing by the sound of people descending the stairs into the entrance hall, and Draco turned to look. While all of the sixth year girls around her were beautiful, a veritable spectrum of color from the dark skinned and raven haired Patil, through the bushy brunette locks of Hermione, to the fair skinned and golden haired Brown. His eyes, through, were drawn to his Lady in Red, Rose Evans, who looked positively radiant, and not to mention prepared for the chill outside, in her crimson layers.

Before Draco could say anything, though, the ginger weasel escorting Lavender spoke.

"Rose, you're going to Hogsmeade with Malfoy?" cried the youngest male Weasely.

"Ron," spoke Hermione through gritted teeth. "Let it go. She's her own witch, and if she wants to go to Hogsmeade with Draco, then she's free to do so."

"But Hermione …" the weasel began to whinge, when his complaints were silenced by the blonde next to him planting a kiss on his lips.

"Won-Won, be quiet. Let your friend be with who she wants. Plus, you're escorting my to Hogsmeade today, so I better be the only girl you think about until we return," she said once her lips were free to talk.

Ron blushed, her face nearly matching the color of his hair, and then nodded dumbly.

"You're looking very handsome today Draco," said Rose as she stepped up next to him.

"Thank you Rose, and I must say, you are looking positively radiant yourself," said Draco, giving her a one-armed sideways hug about her shoulders.

"Shall we?" she asked, gesturing towards the massive doors.

"We better be careful," cautioned Draco, "Filch is scanning everybody as their leaving."

"Wouldn't it make sense to scan them when they return?" asked Hermione.

"You'd think, but then, when as Filch ever made sense," joked Draco.

* * *

Rose was glad for the warming charms as she and Draco walked down the High Street of Hogsmeade, the snow making the cobbles just slippery enough that she had a tight grip on Draco's arm.

Draco, for what it's worth, didn't mind at all, and reveled in her presence.

"Rose, we're going to need to make a stop at the Three Broomsticks, it's the more popular of the two pubs in the village," said Draco.

"I'd heard about it," said Rose. "What for?"

"I just need to pick something up," he said. "I had planned to do something, and now my plans have changed, and so I've got to pick an item up from there before Rosemerta decides to send it on it's way, according to plan of course."

"Ah," said Rose. She thought for a moment, "Something for Pansy?"

Draco paused for a moment, "Not exactly, more of a treasured antique I was planning to pass on, but now don't want to."

"Sounds complicated," said Rose through the scarf wrapped around her face. Only her eyes were exposed to the harsh winter air, unlike Draco, who hand't worn a hat, nor really more than his ermine fringed cloak over his robes and slightly thicker boots. Rose assumed that he either had better warming charms, perhaps something like a bubbleheaded charm, but for cold rather than water, or was stoically ignoring it.

"It is," admitted Draco. He then glanced at Rose and she caught a hint of a blush.

* * *

The pair started at Honeydukes, since their friendship was barely a month old and hadn't gotten nearly far enough to visit Madam Puddifoot's, and Zonko;s was boarded up, a casualty of Voldemort's renewed reign of terror.

Just as Rose got into the shop and unwrapped the scarf from her face, she was surprised with a booming voice from further inside the shop, "Ah, Ms. Evans … And Mr. Malfoy."

Rose turned, muttering something under her breath. Of all the differences she'd experienced between what it meant to be Harry and what it meant to be Rose, there were some commonalities. She still loved to fly, she was still friends with Hermione and Ron (though while the former was looking to strain following the discovery of the Half-Blood Prince's book, it was now the latter that was waning with Rose's friendship with Draco), and Professor Slughorn still hoped to recruit her for his Slug Club membership.

Slughorn was wearing an enormous fur-covered cap, and lined overcoat, and looked to have secured a large bag of crystalized pineapple. Rose also uncharitably estimated that he took up nearly a quarter of the open space in the shop.

"Mr. Evans, Rose, may I call you Rose? I was wondering why you've missed two of my suppers so far this year. You missed the first, of course, but that's because you weren't here," the portly potioneer pointedly professed. He also implied that Harry had missed the first as well, marking three missed suppers, the three that Slughorn had held so far this term. "It simply won't do. You're a gifted young up and comer, and one of the first from your home country to attend Hogwarts, so I'm simply determined to have you! Your friend Ms. Granger certainly loves them."

It was then that Rose realized that, had she remained as Harry, she'd likely be making this meeting with Hermione and Ron by her side, and at this point Hermione would have had to make some sort of diplomatically neutral description of the suppers. Luckily, or unluckily depending on your perspective, that was not the case. Instead, Rose kept silent, hoping that she'd be able to escape out into the harsh winter cold, where at least she'd be safe.

"So why haven't you come along?" asked Slughorn, now nearly upon Rose and Draco both.

"She's been studying with me," declared Draco.

"Ah, of course, Mr. Malfoy, or may I call you Draco?" asked Slughorn.

"Mr. Malfoy will suffice, Professor Slughorn, we wouldn't want you to be accused of impropriety, now would we?" Draco asked rhetorically.

"Mr. Malfoy it is," said Slughorn sheepishly. He knew just how powerful Draco's father was, how close the escaped convict was to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and this, how close Draco was by relation. "Perhaps I should invite you as well?"

"You could, but I have prior arrangements for every night between now and the end of term, what with studying with Rose or Quidditch practice," said Draco.

"Ah, well, I suppose not," said Slughorn, before returning his focus to Rose. "So, Rose…"

"I believe Draco had the right idea, I believe that, to keep our decorum, it would be best if you called me Ms. Evans," interrupted Rose.

"Ms. Evans then, I do have a supper this Monday night. Perhaps you could be convinced to come, bring Mr. Malfoy with you if he doesn't have practice, what with this deplorable weather we're having."

Rose smiled, a message before she left the common room this morning relating a perfect opportunity, "I'm sorry Professor, but the Headmaster requires my presence in his office this Monday night, though he'd not supplied me with information as to the contents of the meeting. I can only assume it'll occupy my entire evening, and thus preclude my participation in this week's supper."

"Until next time then," offered Slughorn. "You'll not be able to evade me forever." He then tipped his fur cap, "Ms. Evans." He then nodded to Draco, "Mr. Malfoy." And with that, he left the shop and disappeared in a gust a snow and the quickly closing door.

Rose sighed, "Thank you Draco, though without being on the team, and you being my excuse, I don't think I'll have as iron-clad an excuse anymore."

"I'm surprised he's trying so hard to add you to his stable of celebrities," said Draco, as they walked further into the warmth of the candy shop. "I mean, Hermione's perhaps the smartest witch of our year, if not at the school, and her inexperience with the magical world is perhaps the only limit on her future success."

"Well, if Voldemort wins, she'll likely have more than her inexperience holding her back, if she survives her NEWTs that is," said Rose with a sigh.

"It might not be a good idea to saw the Dark Lord's name aloud," warned Draco.

"I'm not afraid of him," said Rose curtly.

"I didn't say you should be afraid of the Dark Lord," said Draco. "You should be cautious. In the last war he put the taboo on his name, letting his agents find whomever spoke his name aloud. That's why people started using He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and You-Know-Who. They'd rather be circumspect than dead."

"Oh," said Rose, surprised. "I had thought it was just fear, with the Headmaster saying, at least I heard it second hand, that we shouldn't be afraid to say his name."

"It's fine for the Headmaster to say it, for it's said that he's the only wizard that the Dark Lord feared during the last war. Potter might be close to joining the list, if he was more than a glory hound."

Rose decided not to question Draco's appraisal of her masculine self. "So I should call him the Dark Lord instead?"

"Usually those aligned with him, or at least aligned with those aligned with him, such as myself, use that moniker," explained Draco.

"How about Riddle?" asked Rose.

"Riddle?" asked Draco. "Why Riddle?"

"Before he was Volde … the Dark Lord, he was a student here at Hogwarts, Tom Marvolo Riddle," explained Rose.

"How do you know that?" asked Draco.

As their conversation had lead to darker topics, they'd found themselves in a mostly hidden aisle of the candy shop, near the back, and near the trap door to the tunnel back to Hogwarts.

"While I didn't hear it myself, having been home rather than here," said Rose, stretching the definition of "myself", "home", and "here". "I know that Harry Potter heard it from an apparition of the Dark Lord, or Riddle, himself."

"An Apparition?" asked Draco.

Rose explained the events of their second year, or rather her fight as Harry against Riddle's diary and the basilisk specifically, as if she'd received it second hand from Ron and Hermione. She finished by writing "Tom Marvolo Riddle" with the tip of her wand, and then re-arranging the letters to "I Am Lord Voldemort".

"So you see, he's not a Lord, he's not even a pureblood," explained Rose, using her knowledge from her first meeting with Dumbledoor two weeks before her transformation. "He's a half-blood, and barely that, since his mother was practically a squib, and his father a muggle."

"How do you know this?" asked Draco.

Rose blanched. How could she explain it without revealing her secret. "The Headmaster told Harry Potter, who then shared it with Ron and Hermione, his friends before they were mine. They told me after they told the story of Potter's fight with the basilisk. Or rather, after they told about the end of the Tri-Wizard, or should it be Tri-Wizard and Mono-Witch, Tournament and their escapade at the Department of Mysteries in June."

"They told you rather a lot," said Draco.

"They felt I needed to know," said Rose. "I mean, it's not like it's common knowledge in New Zealand how dangerous it had gotten here in Britain the last few years."

"So, the Dark Lord, or Riddle, is a half-blood, who hides behind a fake name," said Draco summarizing.

"He's still powerful, though," pointed out Rose. "He's the worst Dark Lord Britain's faced in ages, and likely the worst in the world since Grindlewald, if not worse."

"And he's using my family like a bog roll," added Draco.

Rose didn't know what to say.

"Come on, Rose, I need a butter beer," said Draco.

* * *

He pulled the auburn-haired transgendered witch out of Honeydukes and across to the Three Broomsticks. They brushed past the barman of the Hog's Head and Mundungus Fletcher, causing the latter to drop a suitcase full of illicit wares that Rose didn't have the agency, since Rose had never met him, and didn't own Grimmauld Place where the Black family silver 'Dung' had stolen came from. She did, though, make a mental note to bring it up with the Headmaster when they met on Monday night.

* * *

Rose sat at one of the many tables in the Three Broomsticks, freed shortly after their arrival by a group of fourth year Ravenclaws who'd decided to return to Hogwarts before the storm got worse. Draco had told Rose to stay while he got them butterbeers, as well retrieved the package he'd instructed Rosemerta, the publican, to pass on, before she passed it on.

"So, how's your date?" asked Katie Bell, walking over to Rose's otherwise empty table.

"Did the snake leave you in the cold?" asked Leanne, Katie's Badger friend in Rose's year.

"He's just getting some butter beers," said Rose. "And it's not a date. We're just friends, and he's showing me around the village."

"Sure he wouldn't like to show you something else?" asked Leanne.

"Leanne, let it go," said Katie harshly.

"Sorry Katie," said Leanne.

"Don't apologize to me, apologize to Rose, she's the one you're hurting with your innuendo."

Leanne turned to Rose, but before either could speak, Draco arrived with two warm frothy mugs of the barely alcoholic, nearly sickeningly sweet drink. "Rose, why don't you introduce me to your friends."

"Come now Malfoy, we've met plenty of times above the pitch," joked Katie.

"And we've shared classes for over five years," added Leanne.

"True," said Draco, tapping his chin. He then took a pull of his butter beer. "Katie Bell, oldest chaser on this years Gryffindor team, would have made captain if you didn't turn it down after seeing Johnson and Wood both struggle with their NEWTs their final year. Member of Potter's Defense training group last year, before it was broken up."

"No thanks to you," said Katie sourly.

"Let's put the past behind us," said Draco. He then turned to Leanne. "Hmm, Leanne Malone, sixth year Hufflepuff." He paused for a moment, "Friends with Katie Bell."

"I'm more than that!" said Leanne indignantly.

Draco, Katie, and Rose all laughed.

"Okay, top gobstoner in her cohort of Badgers, reserve chaser, one of the few in her house who didn't purchase my Support Diggory and Potter Stinks badges during the Tournament, either a startling display of disloyalty, or bravery, take your pick. Third in our year in herbology behind Longbottom and Granger, and one of only three who took NEWT-level History of Magic, not that you lasted more than a month."

"I was the last to drop it," she retorted.

"So you were," said Draco. "Last rat off the sinking ship."

"Draco, be nice," chided Rose.

Draco bowed slightly to Leanne, "I apologize, Ms. Malone, for my hurtful words."

"Rose, who is this, and what have you done with Malfoy?" asked Katie.

"I'm in a good mood," said Draco sourly.

The girls all giggled.

The four of them talked amicably for a few minutes, as Rose and Draco finished their pints. The four of them then ventured together up the slightly more treacherous path back to the castle, joking amongst themselves.

* * *

"What have you got in there?" asked Filch, as he scanned Draco with his Secrecy Sensor upon their return to the castle.

"He was retrieving something for me," said Professor Snape, appearing as if my magic behind the squib caretaker. He then snatched the wrapped package from out of Filch's hands. "I'll take that."

"So he was," said Filch, not believing the Professor's claims at all, but being unable to do anything about it.

"Thank you Mr. Filch," said Snape. "I believe that you've got another batch of frozen student to harass over there." He pointed to an unfortunate group of fifth year Hufflepuffs, gaining no praise from the almost universally victimized badgers.

"Thank you Professor," said Draco once Filch was out of earshot.

"Don't thank me, Mr. Malfoy," said Snape. He gestured to Rose with the wrapped package, "Thank the lovely witch you escorted, and then come with me."

Draco paled, but then turned to Rose, "Thank you Rose."

"No Draco, thank you," she said. "I had an enjoyable day." She then leaned in and gave him a peck on the cheek.

As Draco stood there in momentary shock the three girls, giggling, retreated to the Great Hall for a late lunch.

"If you would, Mr. Malfoy," said Snape demandingly. "We have much to talk about, and this is not the place to do so."

"Of course Professor," said Draco, gently touching his cheek.

"She didn't leave any mark, if that's what you're wondering," said Snape with a smirk. "At least, not a visible one."

* * *

**Note:** Since Leanne doesn't have a last name, and Malone is on the "Harry Potter and Me" class list without a first name, I decided to use it as her's (rather than the normal Roger Malone).


	7. Chapter 7

I don't own the characters, they belong to J.K. Rowling.

Inspired by "HP: A Girl's Life" by nicky14 on DeviantArt

* * *

Rose brought her concern about Fletcher to the Headmaster, who informed her she should "rest assured that he will not be making away with any more of Sirius' old possessions." It was then, though, that Rose made her acquaintance, or rather remade her acquaintance, with the portrait of Phineas Nigellus.

"And who are you to be concerned about my great-great-grandson's possessions? If I recall correctly they now belong to that Potter boy," asked the portrait of the former Headmaster.

"Ah, Phineas, you've yet to be re-introduced," said Albus. He gestured to Rose, "This is Rose Evans, or rather, this is Harry Potter."

"Doen't look like a Harry, let alone a Potter," scoffed Phineas. "And certainly not like the boy did last you introduced him to me."

"I was cursed," admitted Rose.

"Quite," joked Phineas. "I never met your grandmother, Dorea, but I can see a bit of her mother Violetta in you."

"What?" asked Rose. "Grandmother?"

Phineas got upset, but Rose was surprised that it was with the Headmaster and not her, "You never informed him, or rather her now, about her heritage? How was he supposed to continue the House of Black his good-for-nothing godfather left him if you never told him about it?"

"I was going to tell him once he came into his inheritance," explained Albus. "I wished for Harry to have as much of his childhood as he could before throwing him to the wolves of the Wizengamut."

"Wait, so, I'm related to you?" asked Rose of Phineas.

"If you're really Harry Potter, then of course you are. Your father, James Charlus Potter, was my Great-Grandson, through his mother Dorea Potter née Black, my youngest granddaughter," explained the portrait of the over seventy years dead wizard. "Come now, you'd not think you'd have been made the Head of the House had you no blood connection."

"Wait, Head of House?" asked Rose.

"Well, it might be moot now that you're a mere witch, but your godfather left you as his sole heir," explained Phineas.

"As much as this family history is interesting, we have more important things to do tonight," said the Headmaster, pouring the vial of silvery memories into the Pensieve and swirling the stone basin between his hands, the cursed one looking even worse than during their previous meeting following Rose's feminization.

The pair then experienced two memories, first the image of Caractacus Burke discussing his acquisition of a locket supposedly once belonging to Slytherin from Merope Gaunt for ten galleons, the second a more in-depth experience of the introduction of an eleven year old Tom Riddle to the reality of magic. Rose realized that, as cruel as Tom was, and would later become, so too had been Dumbledore, setting Riddle's wardrobe in what Rose could only guess was some variant of Hermione's favorite blue bell flames. She did not mention the incident, though combined with the various incidents of the Headmaster withholding information from her, painted a less than rosy picture of the elderly wizard.

Before Rose left the Headmaster's office, though, she turned, "I have one more question Sir."

"Just one?" he asked.

"For tonight at least," qualified Rose. "Why aren't I getting the training you told the school I was getting?"

"Training?" asked Dumbeldore.

"When I was cursed, you told the school that I, as Harry, was leaving to receive more training. I've net received anything more since then than I'd have received otherwise."

"Ah, but tonight?" asked Albus.

"While I know now that Riddle has no friends, none to rely on, that he sees all of his Death Eaters, however close, as mere tools, that's knowledge, that's education, but that's not training. Training would be new hexes and jinxes, tactics for combat, leadership lessons, perhaps even training on how to exploit what connections I have from what my family has left me," she added, gesturing at the now sleeping portrait of her great-great-grandfather. "You seem intent to let me retain my childhood, but our enemy, Riddle, he wishes me dead. He wishes to see everyone I hold dear killed or enslaved. Letting me attend classes and, when you find the time, letting he peek behind the curtain, that's not training."

"What of your cover as Ms. Evans?" asked Albus.

Rose didn't know what to say at that. She turned then, and returned to her dormitory, the hollow promises of the Headmaster and his recently revealed manipulations ruminating in her head.

* * *

"How was your meeting with the Headmaster?" asked Hermione, looking up from the book she was reading in bed, waiting for her best friend.

"I learned quite a bit, and not just about Riddle," said Rose, pulling her necktie loose as she headed for her wardrobe.

"Oh?" asked Hermione.

"Sirius left me not just Grimmauld Place, but also the House of Black," said Rose, unbuttoning her blouse.

"Isn't that the same thing?" asked Hermione.

"Not quite," said Parvati in the darkness.

"Hey Parv, sorry to wake you," said Rose.

"You didn't wake us," added Lavender. "Just, unlike Hermione, we could wait in the darkness for you to return."

"So, what do you mean he left you the House of Black?" asked Hermione.

"Well, Sirius made me his sole beneficiary, his heir, and since he was the Head of the House of Black when he died, it made me the Head of the House of Black," explained Rose.

"Not surprising, add in the House of Potter, and once you return to being Harry, you'll be quite powerful politically," noted Lavender.

"House of Potter?" asked Hermione.

"I have a feeling that the Headmaster is making it difficult for us to really understand the world we've entered into Hermione," said Rose. "I mean, I didn't know anything, really still don't, about my family beyond my mum and dad. Did you know that I was technically cousins with Sirius?"

"Sure," said Lavender. "I mean, that was part of the whole Boy-Who-Lived story. James Potter, inexperienced Head of the House of Potter only a few years after his father and mother were killed in a Death Eater attack, betrayed by Sirius Black, his cousin and heir to the House of Black, to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

"Call him Voldemort," said Hermione.

"Better yet, call him Riddle," said Rose, unbuttoning the side of her skirt. "I mean, there's a reason why people were afraid to use his made up name, if you said it, he could find you, and his Death Eaters would attack. He made his name taboo, though I'm not exactly sure what that means. But, he can't exactly make the world 'riddle' taboo, can he? So, that means we can say Riddle, and not only will be stop giving him power by being afraid of saying his name, but we'll be taking power from him by revealing his true heritage and the lies he's used to gain power."

"Rose, it's late, so you'll have to explain that in the morning," said Lavender, confused by the circuitous route Rose's declaration made.

"Not a problem Lav," said Rose, slipping out of her tights. She then grabbed a nightgown from within her wardrobe and put it on. "Oh, and speaking of things to do tonight, Hermione, how was the Slug Club supper?"

"It was fine," said Hermione with a sigh. "Though, I'm not sure you're going to like what he announced for his last one of the term."

"I'll just make sure I have an excuse," said Rose, closing her wardrobe and then making her way to her bed.

"Well, you're not going to get one, since it's the night before the Express leaves for Winter Break," said Hermione. "You'll be getting the invitation tomorrow I would assume. It's a fancy dress Christmas Party, he's inviting a bunch of his past Slug Club members, and he's made sure that no Quidditch Practices can be scheduled, the Library will be closed, and no detentions will be given that night. He's not going to make it easy for you to escape him."

Rose sighed as she sat down on her bed, "I guess I'll have to think of something. Hopefully I'll be back to being myself by then, I mean, Harry that is. If that happens, will you go with me Hermione?"

Hermione smiled, the glow of her wand nearly matching the one on her face, "Of course I'll go with you Rose, or rather, Harry." She laughed softly. "I wish you'd been this foreword thinking two years ago."

"Two years … The Yule Ball?" asked Rose.

Hermione nodded, "I mean, I put Viktor off for nearly a month waiting for either you or Ron to ask me. I only had two friends, since Neville, Ginny, and Luna really hadn't joined our group then, and both of your were boys. What were the chances that neither of you would have thought to ask me until barely a week before the Ball?"

Rose blushed, "Sorry Hermione, I guess, well, I was a bit of a berk then."

Across the room Parvati scoffed, "A bit?"

Rose blushed even deeper, and turned to look to the Indian witch, "Parv, I am so sorry. I ruined your Yule Ball."

"It's alright," said Parvati with a sigh. "I mean, I did get to go with one of the Champions, and the eventual winner, but, I mean, we spent most of the night sitting and watching rather than dancing. Pad and me both."

"While I can't apologize for Ron, I do owe both you and your sister," said Rose.

"Let us have a date when you're back to Harry, and we'll call it even," said Parvati.

"Us?" asked Rose.

"Come now, do you know how many wizards dream of a date with the Patil twins?" asked Parvati.

Rose blushed, "I guess so." She then laid back and pulled the plush blanket up for warmth.

"What if I can't return to being me?" she asked a minute later, a bit of a waver of fear in her voice.

"I think Pad and I would still be up for a date, even then," said Parvati. Rose was sure that the dark skinned witch was blushing enough to redden her cheeks in the darkness.

* * *

As October faded into November, Rose and Draco's friendship deepened, and their fledgling relationship blossomed. In the two weeks between their Hogsmeade "not-a-date", and the first Quidditch game of the season between Slytherin and Gryffindor, their study sessions get fewer and fewer, as the Captain of the Slytherin team, Edmund Urquhart, a seventh year, competed with Ron for time on the pitch, needing Draco to spend more and more time at practice.

Draco admitted that, before meeting Rose he had thought of dropping out of the team due to other issues, but once he'd gotten to know Rose, he realized that those issues weren't quite as important. Rose spent most of her evenings at the Quidditch Pitch, either watching Draco and the Slytherins practice, or watching Ron lead the Lions in their practices. In almost every case she'd spotted the practice snitch before either Draco or Ginny, and had sworn to both Draco and Ron that she'd not reveal the tactics to the other team.

After the Slytherin practices she'd accompany Draco back to the castle, mostly through drizzling rain, though sometimes through a slight snow, though none of the weather had gotten as bad as their first rip together to Hogsmeade. They'd hold hands, and before parting Rose would give Draco another peck on the cheek.

Pansy, though, was another constant spectator of the Slytherin practices, though she mostly watched Rose rather than the Snakes in the air. Multiple times of the fortnight she'd tried to curse or jinx Rose, but every time Rose would either dodge, block, or ignore the curses. The last Slytherin practice before the match, Pansy had sent a particularly vicious curse at Rose, attempting to sever her head from her shoulders, but Rose ducked, and after giving Pansy a scolding glare, greeted Draco with a hug and a peck on the cheek.

* * *

Rose watched her first Gryffindor-Slytherin Quidditch match as a spectator, watching the action from the stands.

Slytherin was still the brute of a team it had always been, forcing fouls and playing exceedingly rough. Draco was seemingly lost, not having Potter to follow, and unwilling to parrot Ginny's activities as the Lion Seeker.

Katie, Demelza, and Dean worked well together, especially considering they'd had a whole month to work out their cues. They weren't as good as Katie, Angelina, and Alicia were the last four seasons, but they were still better than the Snakes, since Vaisey, their highest scorer in practice, had taken a bad bludger from Goyle the day before and was stuck under Pomfrey's tender care. Instead the Slytherin Chaser line was Urquhart, Zabini, and Harper, all new this year.

Rose thought that Ginny, who'd played both Seeker and Chaser before was the key to Gryffindor's rapid scoring, as she was playing as an unofficial fourth Chaser, though she made sure to never touch the Quaffle. This forced Draco to rely on his own skills as a Seeker, and while still fairly good, Rose had caught sight of the Snitch nearly twice as many times as her almost boyfriend.

Ron was the real star of the Gryffindor team, though, making saves left and right (and center, naturally). It seemed that the combination of Lavender as a girlfriend and his position as Captain gave him the confidence that he'd been lacking the year before. He wasn't perfect, but definitely better than the Slytherin keeper.

By the time Rose saw Draco make his final dive, the game was already over, with the Gryffindor's pulling the same trick on the Slytherins as the Irish had played on the Bulgarians during the World Cup two and a half years before, gaining enough points through goals that Draco beating Ginny to the Snitch didn't win him the game.

Rose was one of the first of the spectators to such onto the field, and unlike all of her fellow Lions, she'd rushed past the triumphant winers and instead had headed for Draco, settling onto the Pitch with the Snitch weakly flapping in his hand. "Great catch," she said, as she dove at Draco.

He caught her, and was surprised when she congratulated him with a full-on snog.

"Reminded me of Krum's turn at the World Cup," said Rose after she finally came up for air.

"Krum? Oh, yeah, that," said Draco with a sigh.

"It's not your fault your Keeper's bad, you're not the Captain, it wasn't your choice, right?" asked Rose, trying to encourage her now pretty much official boyfriend.

"I know, it's just, this is the first time I've gotten to the Snitch first against Gryffindor, and I did it against a glorified Chaser," said Draco with a sigh. "I mean, this should have been a battle against Potter, but instead, it's just the Weaslette confusing Crabbe and Goyle while the Weasel blocks nearly as good as Wood did."

"So, you got to the Snitch first, but since you didn't win, and didn't beat your rival, it doesn't mean anything?" asked Rose.

"I guess if you put it like that …"

"Draco, I compared you to one of the greatest, and youngest, professional Seekers of our time, and you're just depressed because you proved that you're a better Seeker than the rest of your team is at their positions?"

Draco chuckled, "Okay, so, perhaps I don't have anything to be mad about. Come on, let me give you a victory ride."

Rose gave Draco a peck on the cheek, then mounted the broom behind him. While she knew that Draco would have preferred to wrap his arms around her to fly the broom, she wanted to embrace him instead.

* * *

After the Quidditch match, Rose and Draco were officially dating, though without any Hogsmeade weekends they sufficed themselves with dates to the Kitchens instead. they both enjoyed watching Zacharias Smith lead the Badgers to a three hundred to fifty loss against the Head Girl Cho Chang's Eagles, since Smith, who had commentated during the Lion-Snake match, had been critical of their relationship, as well as Draco's losing catch.

So it was, as November turned to December, and the inevitable Slug Club Christmas Party approached, Rose took it upon herself to find a date, since neither Pomfrey nor Snape had supplied a counter to the curse in time.

"Draco, what are you planning on doing the night before break?" asked Rose the first weekend in December as they worked on their Transfiguration essay over a private supper in the Kitchens.

"Well, since there won't be a practice that night, or schoolwork, I had assumed we'd have supper down here," said Draco.

"Well, Professor Slughorn arranged it so that I won't have any excuses, so, I was wondering …"

"Wondering what?"

"Would you be my date to Slughorn's Christmas Party?" asked Rose quickly.

Draco dramatically thought for a moment, "I'm not sure, it's a big commitment."

"Come on Draco, what else do you have to do?" asked Rose.

Draco then paled, realizing that he'd been putting off his work on the cabinet almost entirely since their friendship had begun two months before.

"Is there a problem Draco?" asked Rose.

"Um, actually, no, there's not," said Draco, summoning a bit of uncharacteristic courage. "I'd love to escort you to Slughorn's Christmas Party."

"Excellent," said Rose, leaning across to give Draco a light peck on the lips. "Now I just need to figure out what to where."


	8. Chapter 8

I don't own the characters, they belong to J.K. Rowling.

Inspired by "HP: A Girl's Life" by nicky14 on DeviantArt

* * *

Luckily for Rose between the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh year Gryffindor witches, she was able to put an appropriate outfit together. Really it was Katie and Lavender who were the key to the outfit, as they had convinced Rose to, against both her better judgment and Hermione's, sneak out of the castle, and with Katie's able assistance at apparation, head to London the week before the party.

Rather than the shades of red that Rose had heretofore used during her casual and smei-casual wear, the dress which Katie had convinced her to wear was an intense aubergine silk. It had a surplice neckline, with a princess-seamed contoured sleeveless top and a loose ankle-length skirt. She paired it with a slightly darker three-quarter sleeved velvet shrug with a folded collar, adding a bit more coverage. Rose was a bit uncomfortable without the shrug, but felt that it added enough fabric for comfort. She hoped she'd be able to get Hermione to embroider some basic warming runes into both the shrug and the bodice of the dress, since she didn't want to be too cold in the rather drafty castle.

"You look beautiful," said Katie, stepping back and watching the seamstress at Twilfitt and Tattings adjust the fit.

"I'm just worried I'm not over-dressing," said Rose. She'd convinced Katie, and the seamstress, to let her wear flats, saying that she didn't like wearing them, and since she was nearly Draco's height already, she didn't want to be taller than her date.

"I've seen Hermione's dress, Ginny's too, and while you're a bit fancier, not too much," admitted Katie.

"Do you know who they're going with?" asked Rose.

"Well, Ginny and Dean have been dating since shortly after he made the team, and Hermione hasn't said, though I know it's not McLaggen," the older witch answered.

"Why would it be McLaggen?" asked Rose.

"Well, she did have a bit of a crush on both Ron and Harry, but with Harry away for training," explained Katie, keeping to the cover story around those not in the know. "And Ron dating Lavender, well, for a bit there I think she was trying to make Ron jealous."

"But Lavender's good for Ron, she's given him the confidence he needed to be a good Keeper," exclaimed Rose.

"I know that, you know that, and Hermione, well, she knows that too," said Katie. "But, until last year, and really until this year, she didn't have any friends beyond her two boys, and since neither one of them wanted to admit that she was growing into a beautiful girl, she had to take matters into her own hands."

"Well, good for her," said Rose, realizing that she'd need to apologize, again, to Hermione for being berk.

"I think we're done here," said the seamstress, finalizing the alterations she'd made to the dress. She looked from Rose to Katie, "Which one of you will be paying for this?"

Katie smiled, "Call it an early Christmas gift."

Rose returned the smile, and made a mental note to make sure she sent something to Katie this year. Since being cursed she'd had to add a few people to her list of Christmas presents, not the least of which was Draco, though like all of her shopping, it would have to wait until after she'd retrieved her vault key from Mrs. Weasley.

* * *

Rose nervously paced in the Entrance Hall, where the group of invited fifth and sixth year Gryffindors and their guests waited for Draco. She tried to pull the shrug cloud across her chest, having begun to resent the low-cut neckline of her dress in the week since Katie purchased it for her.

Hermione and Ginny, as well as their dates Neville and Dean, respectively, tried not to laugh as Rose's nerves got the best of her.

"Rose, calm down, you're fine," said Hermione, grasping Rose's shoulders to halt the nervous pacing. "I mean, look at my dress, I'm not nearly half as covered up as you." Hermione was wearing a peach colored dress with an admittedly much lower neckline, revealing a bit of cleavage, compared to Rose's dress which covered even the barest curve of her breasts.

Rose looked down at her chest, "It doesn't seem like that from this perspective."

At that the Gryffindors all chuckled, though both Neville and Dean's laughter was a bit forced, since both knew Rose's secret and worried about the curse that had been used on her become more common. Especially since there was still no known counter.

Ginny stepped up next to Rose, "Rose, it'll be fine. Plus, you've got your wand in case he gets frisky, right?" Her emerald green dress, with it's empire waist and black and red accent stripes gave a more festive look, though her dress was more conservative than Hermione's, and was sleeveless as well.

Rose nodded, reached into the left sleeve of her shrug, and pulled out her holy and phoenix feather wand, "Yeah, I've got it right here."

"And you've been practicing the more devious curses, right?" asked Ginny.

Rose nodded, "Yeah, if it gets bad, wouldn't want a repeat of the DoM." She pronounced the initialism of the Department of Mysteries like 'doom'. She then glanced at Hermione, glad that the curse that Dolohov used at the DoM hadn't left any physical scars, though Rose had noticed that even now, six months later, her friend favored her shoulder.

"It'll be fine," said Neville. He flicked his right hand, and his wand slid out of the sleeve of his dress robes. "Plus, I've got your back Rose."

Rose smiled, "Thank you Nev. You've always got my back."

She then calmed, and in good time, as just then two well dressed wizards ascended from the dungeons. Draco, his white hair slicked back as normal, wore a dark green dress robe with a silver dress shirt and tie. Where even three and a half months ago Rose, as Harry, might interpret the smile he worse as predatory or malicious, now that she knew Draco, she recognized it as determined and steadfast instead. Beside her date walked another Slytherin, Blaise Zabini, who wore a black dress robe over a black dress shirt and tie. Both wizards wore high quality robes, a signifier of the wealth of their families, and in Blaise' case, part of the reason he was a member of the Professor's club.

Draco paused at the top of the stairs, glanced at Rose, smiled, and slowly walked over to her. He took her hand, and lightly kissed the back of it, "You are simply radiant this evening Ms. Evans."

Rose blushed, "Why thank you Mr. Malfoy." She then gave a bit of a giggle, surprising even herself.

"Shall we?" asked Blaise, who was going without a date to the party, though Rose didn't know if that was because he didn't desire one, or couldn't find one, since she barely knew him.

* * *

The party was already in full swing upon he arrival of the group of Lions and Snakes. Rose was surprised with how large the office was, especially compared to McGonagall's or Lockhart's in second year. The emerald, crimson, and gold hangings, though, disguised the office as a large tent, hiding the gothic arches that dominated most of Hogwarts' interior spaces. Hermione make a squeak when she noticed the house elves with serving trays, but luckily even she knew when to keep quiet about her chosen crusade.

Luckily for Rose Slughorn couldn't quite shop her around to as many of his "collection" as he would have had she come as Harry, though the rotund professor still introduced her around, sometimes even remembering to introduce Draco as well. While Slughorn must have been dying to expose Rose as Harry, if only to enhance his own connections to the 'Boy-Who-Lived', he was able to make veiled comments as to her future fame, and her connection to past greats, such as Lily Evans, making note of the similar name, appearance, and skills at potions, though Rose tried to both distance herself from her mother and her assumed skills as a potioneer. As Rose she'd enjoyed the anonymity of normalcy, and wasn't ready to embrace the fame of being Harry Potter, let alone any new fame that Slughorn wished to foist upon her.

The most interesting moment of the party, though, was Slughorn's accosting of Professor Snape.

"Come Severus, stop sulking and join us," Slughorn said with a bit of a tipsy slur. "I was just talking about Ms. Evans' exceptional potion-making. Think of how great she would be had she spent the previous five years under your own tutelage?"

Snape looked decidedly uncomfortable, his desire to insult Harry, and by proxy James, warred with his desire to reclaim some semblance of what he had with Lily. "I would have loved to have taught her something, but alas, I was unable to."

"Natural talent!" exclaimed Slughorn.

"Surely," droned Snape.

Slughorn then went off, hoping to find someone else he could introduce to Rose discretely, so that should the witch return to wizard, the professor's connections would net him even more influence.

"Hello Professor," said Rose, who still did not know, even three months later, how to deal with a pleasant Professor Snape.

"Rose," said Snape with a nod. He then nodded to his godson, "Draco."

"Professor," said Draco pleasantly.

"Enjoying yourself?" asked Snape.

"Not exactly," said Rose. "Professor Slughorn seems intent at introducing me to everybody, even though both they and I don't understand why. I think he assumes that since I had Potter's friends so quickly after my arrival, I could act as his proxy until his return." She then glanced at Draco, and back to Snape, "When would Mr. Potter return from his training? I've always wanted to meet him, and it seems that I missed his arrival."

Draco sneered, "You're not missing much, Rose. He was pompous, full of himself, and didn't understand his potential."

"His potential?" asked Rose, surprised by her date's continued vitriol to her masculine self.

"I never told you, but even before we arrived here at Hogwarts, I attempted to befriend him. He took one look at me, and then insulted me, spurning my offer. We were rivals ever since," explained Draco.

"Was this before or after he met Ron?" asked Rose.

"After, but what does that matter?" asked Draco.

"Well, if he'd already befriended Ron, then knowing your antagonism for the Weasleys, you'd likely have insulted his new friend," said Rose. "Perhaps he'd never had friends before arriving at Hogwarts, and even if he didn't he likely had to leave them in the muggle world. So, he befriends Ron, and less than an hour later, you come into the compartment looking to make friends with him, and as your opening offer of friendship, insult his first, and so far only in magical, friend."

Draco seemed poised to respond, but then thought for a moment, "Oh."

Professor Snape, too, was surprised by Rose's discussion of her previous life in the third person, "The muggle world?"

"You didn't know?" asked Rose of her Defense professor. "I mean, I don't know for sure, but both Ron and Hermione insist that every summer Harry returned to his muggle relatives, his aunt and uncle, who seemingly hated magic."

"Petunia?" asked Snape.

"Who's Petunia?" asked Draco.

"Potter's aunt, his mother's muggle sister," explained Snape. "And you say he grew up with her?"

Rose shrugged, "So I've been told. Hated magic, had him live in a cupboard under the stairs until the Hogwarts letter came, then gave him the smallest room instead. Even put bars on his window, if what Ron says in true. Forced him to do all of the chores, and told the neighbors that he went to a school for criminals."

"Now those sound like the sort of muggles that the Dark Lord spoke about," said Draco.

Rose turned on Draco, surprised as his sudden slip into his old viewpoint, "But think, they were forced to take in a boy they never wanted, with magic they hated, and unable to move due to the protections the Headmaster put on the house." Rose, for a moment, empathized with her surviving relatives.

The conversation petered out then, and eventually, the party began to break up.

"Rose, why don't we go someplace private," said Draco.

"Private?" asked Rose, unsure of what Draco wanted, and unsure of if she didn't want what he may have wanted.

"I've been wanting to show you something, ever since you told me about Riddle's history," said Draco.

"Oh," said Rose, not sure if she was disappointed or not.

"It's a secret, though, so you've got to promise not to share it with anyone," said Draco.

Rose smiled, "Of course I won't tell. And, well …"

"Rose?"

Rose blushed, "I've got a bit of a secret that I'd like to share with you too."

* * *

Draco led Rose up to the seventh floor, and the tapestry of Barnabus the Barmy and his dancing trolls. "Wait here, I've just got to set set this up."

"Is this the Room of Requirement?" asked Rose.

"Oh, where Potter trained last year?" asked Draco. He then shook his head, "We're not going there, this is different." He then passed three times before the tapestry, and after the third, a large door appeared out of the wall. Draco tuned then, to Rose, "Come, I want to show you something."

Draco led Rose into the Room of Requirement, but instead of the expansive training space that Rose was familiar with, they walked instead amongst rows and rows of junk, like a city with towering walls of a thousand years of lost, misplaced, and hidden things.

"What is this place?" asked Rose.

"I call it the Room of Lost Things," said Draco. "But it's just a different form the Rom can take." He turned and walked backwards, "You remember how I said, when we first agreed to study together, that there was something that I was doing in my free time?"

"Yeah?" asked Rose, remembering her initial suspicion of Draco from before the curse. When Draco turned to once more lead her into the room, she carefully extracted her wand from her sleeve.

"Well, this is where I was working, though I've not done as much as I would have without knowing you, and since our trip to Hogsmeade, well, I've pretty much stopped what I was doing in here," said Draco, just before turning a corner and, with a flourish, pointing out a slightly clear area with a cabinet in the center.

Rose kept her wand hidden behind her forearm, ready to use but out of Draco's sight, "What is it?"

"It's a vanishing cabinet," said Draco. "Or, at least it would be if it wasn't broken." He walked up to the still damaged magical cabinet, "The plan was, if I hadn't done the deed beforehand, that come the end of next term, Riddle's Death Eaters would use this one's twin at Borgin and Burkes to get past the wards."

"You're helping him!" shouted Rose, dropping into an offensive stance and pointing her wand at Draco.

Draco put up his hand, "No, no, not anymore. This is my secret. I stopped working on it once, well, I fell in love with you."

Rose was surprised at Draco's admission.

"I mean, it's not fixed, and even if I don't do anything else to it, it'll still be broken, and keep the Death Eaters out of Hogwarts," explained Draco.

"But why?" asked Rose, her wand lowered and her stance softer, but she was still on edge.

"My parents," said Draco with a sigh. "He's got my parents, and they're held hostage for me to do Riddle's dirty work."

"So, letting the Death Eaters into the castle?"

Draco shook his head, "No, that was a failsafe, a backup plan. Riddle wants me to kill the Headmaster."

Rose was shocked, "Kill him?"

"I don't want to do it, but if I want my family to be alive after next term is over, I have to do something," said Draco, pleading. "I don't know what to do. I don't want to serve him, not anymore, but he's still got my parents, and if I don't do what he wants, they're forfeit."

"Why not tell the Headmaster?" asked Rose. "I mean, his hand's gotten pretty bad this year, I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't last another year or two."

Draco looked surprised, "Just, tell the Headmaster?"

"Well, not exactly, perhaps have Professor Snape bring up the subject. Perhaps they can figure something out, deceive Riddle to get your parents safe."

"New Zealand," said Draco in an exclamation. "We can go to New Zealand, we'll be safe there. And I can meet your parents!"

Rose paled, "Draco, about that."

"What?"

"Um, well, I've got a bit of a secret of my own, like I said," admitted Rose uncertainly.

"What is it?" asked Draco, leaning up against the vanishing cabinet. Rose was still standing side-on to him at the end of the passage between the piles of junk.

"Well, I'm not from New Zealand," admitted Rose.

"Where are you from?"

"Surrey," said Rose. "I live with my aunt and uncle."

"Like Potter?" asked Draco.

Rose chuckled, "Yeah, just like Potter." She bit her lower lip, an affectation she took from Hermione, "Well, you see …" She took a deep breath, "Do you remember that curse you cast at Potter the week before I showed up?"

Draco looked confused, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Everything," said Rose. "Do you remember the curse?"

Draco, still confused, admitted, "Yeah, 'Femina Illusio', it was supposed to make him see everyone as a beautiful witch. And just before Defense class, he'd surely have been embarrassed in front of Professor Snape."

"Except, you didn't cast 'Femina Illusio'," said Rose.

"I didn't? How do you know?"

"Because you cast 'Femina Mutatio'," explained Rose.

"What's that?" asked Draco.

"It turns the target into a girl," said Rose.

"What? But …" He then looked at Rose. "You?"

Rose nodded, "Yeah."

"You're Harry Potter?" asked Draco.

Rose took a step back, sensing the growing rage in Draco's voice, "Yes, I'm Harry Potter."

Draco dove at Rose, who quickly sent a stunner at her former date, and then dodged out of the way.

"I kissed Harry Potter!" shouted Draco. He then surged at Rose again, who, after sending a cutting curse at Draco, began to run away.

"I'm going to kill you!" shouted Draco.

Rose sent a blasting curse at the pile of junk just in front of Draco as she turned a corner. The pile fell just in front of Draco, who halted just in time.

As Rose ran from the Room of Requirement, tears streaming down her cheeks and ruining the makeup that Lavender had helped her with, she heard Draco shouting threats at her as she searched for a way around the blockage.

* * *

**Note:** I kind of had to leave this as the cliffhanger. There' just two more chapters and the epilogue left.


	9. Chapter 9

I don't own the characters, they belong to J.K. Rowling.

Inspired by "HP: A Girl's Life" by nicky14 on DeviantArt

* * *

"I told you this was going to happen."

"Ron, just drop it," said Rose icily.

"I told you that it was going to end badly, but did anyone listen to me, no!"

"Ron, I told you to drop it."

"But I was right! The great Harry Potter was wrong, and Ron Weasley with right!"

Rose turned from the sink and gestured at Ron with the potato peeling in a threatening manner, "Ron, if you don't drop it, I'm going to pell you!"

"Okay, okay, I just want you to admit that I was right, do that, and I'll keep quiet."

"Alright Ron, you were right, I was wrong, and Draco's a jerk," said Rose. She then turned on her first friend, "Are you happy now?"

"No, but happier," said Ron with a smirk. "I'll be happy once we figure out to get revenge on Malfoy."

Rose rolled her eyes, "Just drop it Ron, I don't want to talk about it, and talking about revenge is still talking about it. I just want to enjoy Christmas in peace before I have to deal with Malfoy revealing my secret at the worst possible time."

"I still say you shouldn't have told him," said Ron. "I mean, it's bad enough to admit that you're enjoying yourself, but no bloke is going to be happy to find out that the bird he's been kissing for the last two months isn't a bird, but is instead a bloke."

Rose slammed the half peeled potato and peeler down on the counter, "One more word, Weasley, and I'm leaving these potatoes to you. One more word."

Ron gulped, fearing the prospect of the mountain of tubers before them.

"Are you going to be quiet?"

Ron nodded.

"Are you going to not speak about Draco, or my ill conceived relationship with him?"

Ron nodded again.

Rose smiled, "Good, now, let's take care of these potatoes."

Ron and Rose resumed peeling the potatoes in quiet.

* * *

At Hogwarts, Draco was mad. He was madder than he'd been in ages, and he was taking it out on the rest of the students who had stayed at the castle over the holidays. Two days before Christmas, his head of house pulled him into his office.

"Draco, we need to talk," said Professor Snape.

"About what?" snarled Draco.

"Calm down," instructed Snape menacingly.

Draco, realizing that, while as a sixth year he could bully most of the school into accepting his anger, his godfather and Head of House would not be so easily cowed. "Sorry Professor Snape."

"Good, now, why don't you tell me what's got you so angry."

"It's Potter."

Snape raised his eyebrow, "Potter? He hasn't been in the castle for months, how can he be the source of your recent insanity?"

Draco snapped, "Months? Months? He, or should I say she, left just two days ago!"

"Ah," said Snape, leaning back in his seat.

"Ah? Is that all you can say? He … she … Potter," and Draco snarled the name, "lied to me, and you let him … her … whatever!"

"I see that Rose told you her secret then," said Snape calmly.

"Rose Evans," snarled Draco. "I should have seen it from the start. She showed up the day after Potter disappeared, has the same eyes, and the same friends. Then, she goes and seduces me, and once I admit that I've changed for her, she goes and tell me that she's Potter, and that for the last three months I've been a bloody poofter!"

"I can see that this is troubling for you."

"Troubling? You knew and you let me!"

"Of course I knew. All of the professors knew. Why else would Slughorn try so hard to get Rose into his little collection?"

"You knew, and you let me get close to her? You even encouraged me!"

"Yes, I encouraged you to date a girl who would be good for you," said Snape. "She let you see beyond the prejudices that your parents raised you with. She let you see that following the Dark Lord is a mistake, and that you should do whatever you can do to not get tied to him."

"So, you're against the Dark Lord now? Is that why you're working for the Headmaster?"

"Of course I'm against the Dark Lord! Any same person would be. The only thing he did during his first reign of terror is destroy our society. Look at what we've become. A hundred years ago Hogwarts was turning away young witches and wizards from less deserving families, now we can't even use all of our classrooms. There's barely three hundred students in a school built for a thousand. And most of them are muggleborn or half-bloods. The only reason there's so many purebloods in your year is because they realized that they needed to breed to replace their losses. This is what the Dark Lord has brought our world to."

"You followed him once."

"Yes, I did, but I was barely out of Hogwarts myself, and I'd been harassed all through school by so-called 'Light' wizards because of my House and my talents," admitted Severus. "Then his reign of terror threatened the only woman I ever loved, and I tried to make a deal with the devil. When the devil wouldn't deal, I turned to the Headmaster. He offered me protection and absolution, in exchange for helping him when the Dark Lord returned. Now he's dying, and I fear that when Albus dies, our world will follow him quickly."

"Why?" asked Draco.

"Come now, the very reason you're here in the first place. Rose is Potter, but the world believes that Harry Potter is being trained to fight the Dark Lord. She doesn't stand a chance, and once the Dark Lord kills her, he's going to destroy our world."

"You keep saying that, but why?"

"All the Dark Lord wants is power, it's all he's ever wanted. He's using the purebloods to get that power, but in the process he's killing anyone who doesn't agree with him. Eventually all that will be left is a small group of purebloods, and that's not sustainable."

"What do you mean?"

"Come now, even you can do the math. How many of your classmates are only children?"

"Most of them, I think Weasley, Greengrass, and the Patils are the only ones with siblings, though I could be wrong," said Draco.

"There's a few more, but they're all either half-bloods or muggleborn, and are thus targeted by the Dark Lord. If all of the purebloods only have one child, then the next generation will be half as large, and that's only if they all survive to marry. The next generation after that will be even smaller, the one after that smaller still, until there aren't any purebloods left in Britain." Snape sighed, "It's simple math, and any muggleborn could see it if they looked. Plus, while Rose's history was fake, many muggleborn and half-bloods did leave for the rest of the Commonwealth during the Dark Lord's first rise."

"So what should I do?"

"About what? The Dark Lord or Rose?" asked Snape.

"The Dark Lord?" asked Draco.

"Help Rose," said Snape with a sigh.

"But I thought you hated Potter?" asked Draco.

"Oh, I do hate Potter, but if you'll notice, Rose isn't a Potter. She's her mother's daughter, and if I have my way, that's who she'll remain. But eventually, she's going to need to fight the Dark Lord, since her secret will get out. She needs to fight the Dark Lord, and she's going to need to win."

"But how?" asked Draco. "How is a not even seventeen year old girl supposed to defeat the most powerful Dark Lord Britain's seen in centuries?"

"If you believe the Headmaster, it's supposed to be the 'Power of Love', but that's a load of shite," said Snape. "No, the power the Dark Lord knows not, what will defeat him, isn't Love, but friendship."

"Friendship? How's that better than love?"

"The Dark Lord doesn't have friends, he doesn't have allies, he has tools. You father, your mother, even you since he gave you your mission, are merely tools to him. It took me years to realize it, but when I did, I had hoped that he'd stay defeated long enough for you to escape his clutches, unfortunately, he came back too soon. And so, he's going to turn another generation of witches and wizards into sacrifices on his altar of power."

"So how would we defeat him with friendship?"

"It's 'we' now, is it?" asked Snape. "No matter, the way to defeat the Dark Lord is to attack his weakness. He's dependent on using others, the Death Eaters. Remove his tools, and while he's still powerful, he's less dangerous, since he can only be in one place at a time. Remove the tools he used to return from death, and he can finally be defeated completely. That's why friendship is key, friendship is what will allow Rose, allow Potter, to complete the prophesy and save our world from the destruction the Dark Lord will inflict upon us."

"So I need to be friends with Rose?" asked Draco.

"You don't have to be. You could, if you wanted, return to the life you led before knowing her. You can try to resume your relationship with Parkinson, or perhaps switch to Greengrass or one of the other witches in your year. You can keep Rose's secret, or you can share it, it is a choice that you can make, I will not tell you want you have to do."

"What should I do?" asked Draco with a sigh.

"Before you knew her secret, did you enjoy your time with Rose?" asked Snape.

Draco thought for a moment, then slowly nodded, "Yes, yes I did."

"Before you knew her secret, did you think that, perhaps, one day, you could see yourself marrying her?"

Draco thought for a bit longer, "It's possible. I mean, can she even have children?"

"The curse you used on Potter, the Maiden's Blessing, was meant to allow pureblood families without daughters to lay with each other, to allow children to solidify an alliance. So, yes, Rose can have children. If you take what Nurse Pomfrey says, she's quite healthy and likely fertile, since the curse was meant to invigorate pureblood lines."

"So you know the curse?"

"I was tasked with finding a counter by the Headmaster," admitted Snape. "I have yet to find a counter that I can perform."

"Ah, so, you think I should get back with Rose?" asked Draco.

"I believe that you and Rose would make powerful allies against the Dark Lord, and once he's defeated, in repairing the damage done to our society. Whether that is as friends, or as more, is not for me to say."

* * *

Christmas arrived a few days later, and Rose had nearly recovered from her breakup with Draco.

Molly Weasley had quickly adopted Rose into her family when she'd been told by Dumbledore about the curse, and treated the sixth year witch as her second daughter, rather than the seventh son she'd treated Harry as.

"Thanks again for the presents," said Rose, pulling her knit jumper over her head. It was dark green with a pink 'R', and made Rose remember the first jumper she'd gotten her first year, and how it felt good to have people who cared about her, even if they weren't actually family.

"It's the least we could do, after all that's happened to you," said Molly. "First you lose your parents, and now you've lost your identity. Hopefully they'll be able to find a counter before the end of next term."

Rose looked confused, as she'd quietly hoped that she'd be able to finish her time at Hogwarts as Rose, as someone normal, before returning to Harry to fight Riddle. "Why?"

"Your relatives won't exactly be understanding, would they?" asked Arthur.

"It'd be a month between end of term and my seventeenth birthday, and when I become an adult. I've already got a home in Sirius' old house. I'll just live there until I go back to Hogwarts for seventh year, and then, once I'm done with my NEWTs, then it'll be safe to return to being Harry."

"You'd stay a girl that long?" asked Ron.

"It's already been three months, I've already gotten used to my period," said Rose. Ron blanched. "Plus, I like being normal for once. Sure, I'm a girl, but I'm a normal girl. I'd rather be a normal girl than a famous 'Boy-Who-Lived' any day of the week."

"But you're famous!" said Ron.

"Exactly," said Rose with a sigh. "When I was Harry, all anyone ever saw was their image of the 'Boy-Who-Lived'. They never saw 'just Harry'. Even from my first trip to Diagon Alley, my life in the magical world was defined by something that happened when I was fifteen months old, and that killed the only family I ever had. I'd trade the fame and fortune for family any day of the week, and twice on Sundays."

"But … fame … fortune … how could you give that up?" asked Ron.

Rose looked to Ron's parents, and then back to her first friend. "Ron, I never wanted fame, I never wanted fortune. I understand that you're the sixth child, and your brothers have all gone on to do great things. Bill is a curse breaker and now he's engaged to marry a Veela. Charlie works with dragons. Even Percy the Prat works closely with the Minister of Magic and he's only been out of Hogwarts for two and a half years. The Twins are successful with their owl-order pranks. You see the success your brothers have, and you assume that fame and fortune are the only ways you'll distinguish yourself. Your'e a good Keeper, perhaps one day you'll even be a great Keeper, and lead some Quidditch team, like the Canons, to victory, and thus gain fame and fortune your way."

"All I ever wanted was a family. You look at me, and you see everything you've ever wanted. I look at you, and see everything I ever wanted," said Rose.

After that, the Burrow was quiet for a few minutes.

The silence was broken by a light tapping at the window, as Hedwig was waiting to get in.

"Hedwig?" asked Rose, getting up from the floor. She walked over and let her familiar in. She knew that Hedwig hadn't gotten much use this year, what with her cover as Rose being easily broken if Hedwig were to come down and deliver a letter. Rose had gone up to the Owlery every week to greet her real first friend, delivering a plate of bacon on Saturday mornings before heading out to the Pitch to watch one or another team practice.

The snowy owl alighted on one of the seat back around the Weasley supper table, though it was otherwise empty as the family had gathered in another room for presents. Hedwig stuck out her leg, presenting a letter for Rose.

"Thanks girl," said Rose, petting the owl in a stroke down her back, before untying the strong and removing the envelope. It was a fine linen envelope, and written on one side, and familiar scripts was the intended recipient.

"Rose. Potter"


	10. Chapter 10

I don't own the characters, they belong to J.K. Rowling.

Inspired by "HP: A Girl's Life" by nicky14 on DeviantArt

* * *

Severus, Poppy, and Minerva sat in front of Albus' desk the day before the students were due to arrive back from Winter Break.

"First off, Severus, I'd like you to congratulate Mr. Malfoy on his restraint. I'm not sure what Ms. Evans was thinking of when she told him, but even through his anger he still did not reveal the truth of Ms. Evans' predicament," Albus started off with.

"Quite, when I heard Ms. Evans return to her dorm after the disastrous end to their date, I feared for the worst," added Minerva. "Though, there is still time for Mr. Malfoy to disappoint us."

"I do not believe that will be happening," said Severus. "We had a talk a few days after it occurred, the twenty-third I believe, and I cautioned him on the negative effects of a full-blown revelation. I fear, though, that the information will get out regardless."

"As do I, which brings me to why you are here. Severus, have you found any way to counter the curse that has turned Mr. Potter into Ms. Evans?" asked Albus.

Severus shook his head, "No Headmaster, while I have discovered much about the curse, including more of its effects and why it fell out of favor, I have not discovered a counter that I can perform."

"Can't perform, or won't perform?" asked Minerva. "I know how much you and Rose's father were antagonistic during your time here, and how much you took it out on Harry before her cursing."

"Can't perform," said Severus harshly. "I would be willing to swear an oath to that effect."

Minerva paled, "I am sorry Severus, after so many years, I just expected the worst."

"I understand, it's only with hindsight that I have seen how badly I treated the boy for his father's sins," admitted Severus, eliciting a gasp from both Poppy and Minerva, and a faint smile from Albus, despite his pain. "I let my hatred of the father blind me to the actions of the son. It was only when I could ignore my hatred for the father, and instead focus on my experiences with Lily, that I was able to fully grasp what her daughter truly was."

"Which brings me to my second point. Now that we do no longer have a choice in returning Ms. Evans to Mr. Potter, we need to decide how to reveal the change to the school and the wider magical world," said Albus.

"I strongly caution against that," said Poppy, and she spoke first only because she was expecting this, and got her objection out quicker than the others. "When you compare the health of Mr. Potter and Ms. Evans, well, the difference is night and day. Perhaps it was due to the curse, but Ms. Evans' health is as if she had lead a safe, healthy, and most importantly, happy, life since birth. As I warned you every September since Mr. Potter began his tuition her, when he arrived this year he was underfed, malnourished, underweight for his age, and showing the effects of extended periods of neglect, abuse, and malnutrition. When Ms. Evans came in for her first checkup, and in every checkup I've given her since, I've seen no sign of the damage those muggles did to Mr. Potter in Ms. Evans. If we reveal the connection between Ms. Evans and Mr. Potter, and you return her to her relatives, then I fear that all the gains made with her transformation will be destroyed, and she'll return to us a broken young woman."

There was a brief fight between Minerva and Severus on who would object next, but Minerva won, by virtue of being Deputy Headmistress.

"I too must object most vociferously to any attempt at revealing Ms. Evan's history as Mr. Potter except in the most dire of circumstances, as her Head of House, as her Transfiguration professor, and as a friend of her parents," said Minerva.

"How does your friendship, however brief after their time here, connect with your opinion regarding the revelation?" asked Albus.

"Lily and James wanted their son to live a happy life, something that was taken from him when they died. Until this year I have not seen Harry happy outside of flying and receiving praise that compared him to his parents. As Rose, though, she's grown to be happy when with her friends, when studying, and even when with Mr. Malfoy, until her revelation of her history at the beginning of Winter Break. She's also been more studious, and all of her professors have professed that she's doing better in her classes than she did as Mr. Potter. Horace was especially effluent with his praise," Minerva explained.

"And you, Severus, how have you found Ms. Evans?" asked Albus.

"She's performing better than adequate, and with time, might make become passable in Defense," said Severus.

"That's high praise for you," commented Poppy.

"She's also had a beneficial effect on Mr. Malfoy, who expresses an intent for defying the Dark Lord, whom he usually calls, likely at Rose's behest, Riddle," the half-blood added.

"And how will this affect your oath?" asked Albus.

Severus glared at the Headmaster, "If need be I can still perform as I swore."

* * *

"Rose, are you ready for this?" asked Ron, as they prepared to take the one-off floo connection from the Burrow to Hogwarts.

"Ready for the floo or getting to Hogwarts?" asked Rose.

"Well, now that you mention it, a bit of both," replied Ron. "I mean, you're terrible at taking the floo."

"It's the tumbling I think," said Rose. "Never could handle the spinning."

"Spinning?" asked Ron. "Never had any spinning," he added with a shrug.

"Are you going to be okay?" asked Mrs. Weasley.

"We'll be fine," said Ginny.

"But what if everybody's talking about Rose?" asked Mrs. Weasley. She then gave the aforementioned witch a tight hug.

Rose pulled the linen envelope, now well worn for her constant handling of it, from the pocket of her peacoat, then looked up at Mrs. Weasley, "I don't think that's going to be a problem."

"How can it not be a problem?" asked Ron. "You told Malfoy your secret, and now he's bound to have told the entire castle who you really are. I'm quite frankly surprised it wasn't in the _Prophet_ by now."

"Ron, you insensitive prat," chided Ginny.

"I think it'll work out," said Rose, taking one last look at the envelope before putting it back in her pocket.

"I do hope so, you deserve me good things in your life dear," said Molly. She then gave them all one last hug before sending them to Professor McGonagall's office.

"Are you doing better Ms. Evans?" asked McGonagall.

Rose nodded, "I think so."

"Well, there's someone waiting for your outside my office," said McGonagall.

Rose brightened, and rushed past both Ron and Ginny.

By the time the two Weasleys exited the Deputy Headmistress' office, Rose and Draco were snagging quite heavily.

* * *

"It is most important that we secure the true memory, Rose … How important, we will only know when we have seen the real thing. So, good luck," said Albus after showing Rose the altered memory of Professor Slughorn's discussion on horcruxes with a younger Riddle.

"Is that all Professor?" asked Rose.

"There is one more thing, something that I wish I did not have to tell you," said Albus.

"What is it?" asked Rose, suddenly concerned.

"It regards your most unfortunate curse," said Albus. At that he gently stroked his own blackened, curse-scarred hand. "It is my unfortunate duty to inform you that there is no known cure for the curse that befell you."

"None?" asked Rose.

"None that Professor Snape has found that he can perform," clarified the Headmaster. "I'm afraid that you are likely to be stuck as Rose for the rest of your life."

"It's not too bad," said Rose honestly.

"But what of your identity?" asked Albus.

"The Goblins have no problem, letting me into my vaults. Kreacher, for all his faults, still obeys me as his mistress. And Riddle does not know to target me beyond my blood status," explained Rose. "I'm sure that we can dodge the bludger of my NEWTs and what I'll do after Hogwarts once we come to it, perhaps we can reveal who I am to a select few then, but for now, everyone who needs to know, knows."

"If that is your desire, then … Good night Rose," said Dumbledore, dismissing the auburn haired witch.

"Good night Professor," said Rose.

* * *

"Look … at … me …" whispered the dying Snape.

Rose looked into his eyes, her boyfriend Draco at her side, as Severus Snape stared at her. Her emerald green eyes met his black orbs, and then, something immaterial left his eyes, and they were left fixed and blank. As the hand the held Rose's blouse thudded to the floor, Rose shed a tear as Severus moved no more.

"Rose, we need to go," pled Draco.

Rose gently closed Snape's eyes, and clutching the vial of memories to her chest, rose with Draco's help. The couple held each other, Hermione and Ron looking on, as Voldemort called to face Rose, her secret having been revealed by Scrimgeour to the public following Dumbledore's fall from the Astronomy Tower, not quite eleven months before tonight.

"This time, I shall enter the gray myself, Rose Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman, and child who tried to conceal you from me," finished Riddle in his treat. "One hour."

"Don't listen to him," said Ron, who had returned on Christmas, now four months past, after leaving Rose, Hermione, and Draco two months previous.

"It'll be all right," said Hermione. "Let's … let's get back to the castle."

"'Mione's right Rose," said Draco, his arm still around her in support. "We need to make a new plan. Riddle's in the forest, so the castle should be safe enough to regroup."

Rose looked down at the vial of silvery memories again, "We … I need to see what Severus left me. This was his last act of defiance against Riddle, giving me these memories. I need to see if he figured something else out."

"We'll do it together," said Draco, reassuring Rose with a squeeze of her shoulders.

The quartet made there way up to the castle, finally gathering with everyone else in the Great Hall. Rose was sobered by the row of dead in the middle of the room. Ron beside her was the only Weasley not surrounding George's body. She and Draco kept back as Ron and Hermione went forward to offer comfort to the Weasleys. Draco, though now friends with them on a personal level, still felt that the history of animosity between their families required that he wait to pay his respects.

Rose and Draco instead went over to the bodies of Remus and Tonks, the married couple laying next to each other, the killing curse leaving them looking more asleep than dead. Rose thought about little Andy, their baby girl now orphaned as she was. Sure, Andy had her grandmother and namesake, as well as her godparents, Rose and Draco, but still, Rose felt that they were cut down too soon, that too much had been lost to Riddle in his quest for power.

Rose turned and sobbed softly into Draco's shoulder, no longer able to take in the cost of this final battle.

"It's all right Rose," said Draco, though even he knew that the words were empty. They'd never truly be all right.

"I can't take it anymore Draco," said Rose. She then slipped past Draco, and fled out of the Great Hall. Draco followed, as Rose led him to the Gargoyle before the Headmaster's office. Draco didn't hear the exchange, but was pleasantly surprised that Rose was able to quickly get past the guardian, and Draco followed her up to the office.

Rose was in the center of the office as Draco came up behind her, wrapping her in a hug from behind. They both looked around, seeing the empty portrait frames, as their occupants had fled to get a better look at of the events of the night.

Rose, though, knew where she was going, and quickly made her way to the stone Pensieve in the cabinet opposite the Headmaster's desk. Draco stood beside her as she poured the memories into the rune inscribed basin.

With a look to Draco, who replied with a nod, Rose took the two of them into the memories.

The found themselves in the very room they had left, though it was earlier, before the battle, before the death and destruction.

"Hello Rose," said Snape's memory. "If you're here, then I'm likely dead. Hopefully my godson is still beside you."

"Can he see us?" asked Rose.

"I think this was him talking to himself, so that he could be talking to us in here," said Draco, though even he barely understood it.

"While what I had told you about the curse was true, it was only true from, as a famous actor once put it, a certain point of view," said Snape in his own memory. "While the rest of these memories will show how much I cared for your mother, as well as information that Albus kept from you, this is about something that I kept from your. While I doubt that it will matter anymore, perhaps the two of you were less in love than I suspected."

"What's he talking about?" asked Rose.

"Let's just listen," replied Draco.

"I told both Draco and Albus that I knew of no way that I could counter the curse that made you Rose, and while true, it was not the whole truth. There is a way to counter the curse, but it requires two very important elements. First, the counter must by cast by the same person who cast the Maiden's Blessing curse in the first place, so in this case, Draco."

"Okay, that's easy," said Rose.

"Secondly, it must be cast before the victim loses their virginity," said the memory of Snape with a crooked smile.

"And there's the rub," said Draco with a chuckle.

"You may hate me for what I have done to you, Rose, but I could not stand losing you as I lost your mother. Losing you to Harry, losing the spitting image of Lily to Potter, I could not do that. Hate me if you must, but I will never regret my omission."

* * *

"The wand's more trouble than it's worth," said Rose. "And quite honestly," she turned away from the painted portraits, thinking now only of the four-poster be lying waiting for her and Draco in Gryffindor Tower, and wondering whether Kreacher might bright them a sandwich or two there, "I've had enough trouble for a lifetime."

* * *

**Note:** Portions of this chapter contain quotes from _Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince_ and _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_.


	11. Epilogue

I don't own the characters, they belong to J.K. Rowling.

Inspired by "HP: A Girl's Life" by nicky14 on DeviantArt

* * *

**Nineteen Years Later**

* * *

It was a large family that pushed trolleys loaded with trunks, and heaped with cages, across Pancras Road from St. Pancras to Kings Cross.

At the head of the procession was a woman in her late thirties, with her auburn hair in the asymmetrical bob that was becoming popular on the Continent, holding the hand of a nine year old girl with rainbow dyed hair. Behind them came four children of growing age: an eleven year old boy with his long curly black hair pulled into a tail to keep it under control pushing a trolley with an eagle owl in a cage. Beside him was his sister, the twelve year old with slightly lighter hair than her mother, nearly a true ginger, her trolley and trunk was topped with a flat-faced cat that wouldn't be out of place with a pithy saying captioning her picture. In the second rank of trolleys was a blond boy in her early teens and his year or two older sister with black hair, a study in contrasts, though they had nearly identical snowy owls in cages atop their trolleyed trunks. Bringing up the rear was a blond haired man with his long straight hair tied at the back like his youngest son, talking with his eldest son, with curly auburn hair clipped nearly to his scalp.

"Is there a reason we couldn't have come back yesterday and had a night to relax?" asked the eldest son of his father.

"Harry, you know your mother, she wanted to spend as much time on vacation as possible, and when she saw that it was a two hour difference between trains, well, she figured it'd be easier to just walk from St. Pancras to Kings Cross," he explained. "Plus, it's not like you have to worry about anything, you've got your NEWTs."

"Still, it'd be nice to not have to rush," said Harry. At that, he rushed forward, catching the cage that was just about to fall off his sister's trunk. "Careful there Cissy."

The raven tressed girl grabbed the cage from her older brother, and set it back atop the trunk. She then continued to talk with her younger brother, completely ignoring Harry.

"She's still mad at me," said Harry, returning to his father.

"You transfigured her favorite swimsuit into a larger version of Deegee's," the father replied with a chuckle. "She may have liked the ponies before she went to Hogwarts, but she's grown out of it now."

"Andy still likes them," said Harry in response.

"Andy is a special case," said his father. "I think she likes them just to tweak your mum."

"It's working, especially since Andy taught Deegee how to do her hair in a rainbow," said Harry with a it of a chuckle.

"I think the Head of the DMLE will be having a word with her newest Auror Trainee," added his father.

* * *

"Andromeda Nymphadora Lupin!" came the shout from the auburn haired thirty-something, as she escorted her youngest through the barrier to Platform 9 3/4. Dozens of young witches and wizards mumbled about "all three names" in response.

Halfway down the platform a rainbow-haired young woman in a maroon robe panicked mid-snog with a strawberry blonde about two years her junior. The two broke apart cautiously.

"What did you do this time Andy?" asked the strawberry blonde seventeen year old.

"Not sure Vik," she replied, wiping a bit of saliva from her mouth with the sleeve of her Auror Trainee robes. "But whatever it is, best you get on the Express."

"What, no parting snog?" asked the young wizard.

"Vik, if you don't get on the Express before my Mum gets here, we're both going to be in trouble," said Andy, standing up straight. "Now move your arse, handsome as it is, and git."

Viktor Weasley gave his fiancé a peck on the cheek before grabbing his rucksack, which held a shrunk version of his trunk, and fled into the safety of the Hogwarts Express.

"Hello Mum," said Andy Lupin as Rose Potter-Malfoy, her godmother and Head of the DMLE, finally stalked up to her. "Sup Deegee?"

"Mum's mad about my hair," said the nine year old Dorea Ginevra Malfoy, who like her cousin, and eldest sister, Andy, and Andy's mother before her, was a metamorphamagus.

"Darn right I'm mad about her hair," said Rose. "Do you know how hard it was to explain away my daughter, who until yesterday was content to have her father's blond locks, suddenly having rainbow hair?"

"Um, no?" replied Andy. "Though, I assume it was fine, since you didn't cause a major international incident by obliviating a bunch of frogs."

Rose just shook her head, "You're just lucky I love you, Andy, or else you'd suddenly be picking up the worst assignments on your training rotation."

"You'd do that to Uncle Ron?" asked Andy.

"After what Luna told me her husband did at the DVLA, I'm not sure he doesn't deserve it," replied Rose.

Andy looked surprised, her hair fading from the rainbow to its natural dark brown, "What's he do?"

"Apparently Auror Weasley decided that he didn't need to follow the law, and obliviated a driving instructor. You know how your Aunt Mione is trying to encourage Aurors to get their Driving License, in her effort to make it easier on her department. Perhaps by the time you're finished with training you'll get some training with the Yard to better integrate," explained Rose.

"Well, I guess I'll be in good company then," said Andy.

"All right, well, since you're here, Auror Trainee Lupin, and in uniform," said Rose, gesturing to the maroon robe her goddaughter wore. "Might as well put you to work. The Express'll be leaving in fifteen minutes, so we're about to get the rush from your cousins."

* * *

"How's it going Mione?" asked Draco Malfoy, as he watched his wife, daughter, and goddaughter talk from a safe distance.

"It's going well, Emma's still demanding she get to go early, Dan's ready for his second year, and Louis still has he crush on Deegee," replied Hermione Zabini-Granger, head of the DMAC, and thus in charge of non-political Muggle-Magical relations.

"And Blaise?"

"He's good," replied Hermione with a smile on her face. "Thanks for watching the kids while we enjoyed our anniversary."

"You two still having fun with the Blessing?" asked Draco.

"As long as Blaise only enjoys my ministrations, then he's back to his normal self when we're done," she replied, the hint of a blush creeping up her neck. "You and Rose should try it."

"With her luck? I'd get stuck too, and then Sev'd have to take over my seat on the Wizengamot, and my mum would kill me, not to mention what my dad would do," replied Draco. He shuddered, "No, best not to play with fire."

Hermione chuckled, "Come on, even Luna got Ron to play for a bit. Only a week, but she showed me pictures of Billie, and Ron makes a pretty good witch."

"Billie?" asked Draco. He then shook his head, "Nevermind, I don't want to know."

Hermione just chuckled.

* * *

"So, Siri …"

"… You ready for Hogwarts?"

"Hey Lils, Tuney," greeted Sirius Lucius Black, as he sat down across from his twin cousins. "And yeah, I think I'm ready."

"So what House …"

"… Do you think you'll be in?"

Siri shrugged, "Not sure. Andy was a Puff like her mother and Harry a Gryff like our mums. Both Cissy and Sev are Snakes, but Luna's a Claw, so it's not like there's any family predilection."

"Using words like that …"

"… And you'll be an Eagle in the morning."

"Worked out well for Aunt Luna," said Siri with a shrug. "But as a Black, it is traditional for me to be in Slytherin, though I wouldn't be the first to join the Lions."

"Since Andy isn't …"

"… Your mother's daughter."

"You might …"

"… End up a Badger."

"It would complete the set, though I'm pretty sure Deegee will be following her idol into Hufflepuff. Did you catch their matching hair?"

"It almost made us want …"

"… The magic of friendship."

The three cousins then dissolved into laughter.

* * *

Two compartments down, a group of four friends had gathered.

"So, how was France?" asked one of the two ginger witches. She held her toad securely within it's plastic box on her lap, since she'd heard enough of her father's first trip that Sigmund never left his case.

"It was good Alice, stayed at Chateau Delacour with Aunt Gabby for most of it, but the last week was in _Paris_. We left this morning, though not without difficulties from Deegee," replied Luna Hermione Potter.

"Did you see any of the museums? Mum and dad took as there last summer when you all went to Rio, and we probably spent half our time going from from one _Musée_ to another," asked the dark skinned and bushy haired rising second year wizard.

"Dan, enough with the cultural stuff, I want to hear about what really matters," said the third ginger in the compartment. "Did you catch any Quidditch games?"

The three others int he compartment all groaned.

"Arty, not all of us are as obsessed with the game as you and your dad are," complained Alice Longbottom.

"Says the witch who's mum only stopped playing for the Harpies when she was five months pregnant with your older brother," joked Arthur Weasley. "Now she works the sports beat for my mum's paper."

"Well, to answer your question Arty, yes, we did see some Quidditch. Aunt Gabby's nearly as good as my mum on a broom," confirmed Luna. "And yes Dan, we did visit our share of _Musêes_, so your can tell your mum that we did fine in that regard, though I'm sure she knows, since she was in contract with my mum almost every day."

* * *

As the scarlet steam engine of the Hogwarts express pulled out of Platform 9 3/4, Rose Potter-Malfoy, leaned into her husband's shoulder, and sighed.

"Glad they're off?" asked Draco.

"Yes, glad they're off. And remind me next year that we need at least a day between vacation and school," said Rose.

"You're still stressing about Deegee's hair?"

"No, I just wanted to guilt Andy into watching her for the rest of the day," said Rose. She extracted her wand from the holster she kept up the sleeve of her blouse, "You know, with Andy and Harry watching Deegee, we can duck away for a few hours of fun."

"Speaking of which, Mione said that she and Blaise have been having fun with our favorite Blessing," said Draco, giving his wife a peck on the cheek.

"Did you tell her about your experience with it?"

Draco blushed himself, "No, though she did encourage me to experiment."

"What do you think she'd do if she knew we'd been experimenting since that night in Gryffindor Tower?"

"She'd probably wonder how you got the Blessing to take effect immediately."

"Considering how much that witch knows, you'd think she'd think to change the inflection."

* * *

**FINIS**

* * *

**Note:** Fixed an error in the Alice-Luna-Dan-Arthur scene (I had forgotten who was who's daughter, thanks **LadyRainDancer**.


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